Report: Milan star Leao ‘did not reject’ Chelsea but told the club to decide

By Isak Möller -

Rafael Leao has been linked with a move to Chelsea in the last few days but AC Milan’s stance has always been pretty clear. There have been conflicting reports with regard to the winger’s stance, though. 

Yesterday, La Gazzetta dello Sport (via PianetaMilan) reported that Chelsea are considering making a €120m offer for Leao. However, the newspaper also added that Milan have no intention of selling their star now and that the player himself wants to stay.

The Rossoneri are in talks with Jorge Mendes over a renewal and have also always referred to Leao’s €150m release clause (which is only valid in July). On the other hand, journalist Sebastiano Sarno claims that Leao actually never said no to Chelsea.

The Portuguese international ‘did not reject’ the Stamford Bridge side, per the journalist, but rather he told Milan to do what they see fit. He’s happy in Milano and thus has no reason to actively push for a move to the Premier League side.

Tags AC Milan Chelsea Rafael Leao

35 Comments

  1. If they don’t take the 120m offer in two years, or maybe even less, we will be looking back at this offer and really lamenting it. It will be seen as the moment the current project went off the rails. Leao is not going to accept anything less than 8m per year to renew (if not more, plus Mendes fee), and we’re not going to pay that.

    1. What a golden opportunity. Take 120m, sell Leao. Use the money to reinforce the squad and then beat Chelsea in group stages.

    2. Ya sure. Ajax just rejected a 90M POUND offer for Antony….so you really think the 100M offer won’t be there in the summer? Lol. And some ppl on here want to sell Leao for 50M – LMAO. Those are the same so called fans that will cry when he scores 25 goals and goes off to become a star for Chelsea and his replacement shits the bed. Wake up. Besides what kind of club do we want to become if we constantly sell (Or lose for free) our best players BEFORE they even enter into their prime??? You don’t win CL titles like that. Teams of Inazghi Pirlo Kaka – all stayed together through their PRIMES. That’s how u win CL – NOT selling before the players even hit their peaks. Unreal.

  2. “Use the money to reinforce the squad and then beat Chelsea in group stages.”

    *

    Yeah, yeah yeah… reinforce the squad on just ONE friggin’ week? How many top class players, first team material, do you think the board could sign w/ 120 M in the current conditions of the football market? And (let’s repeat) in just ONE friggin’ week? Well… what psychedelic drug do you use? What kind of fantasy world do you live in?

  3. It’s simply unbelievable to see that there are people who seem to believe that replacing a player of Rafael Leão’s caliber is something as easy as, heck, going to the ice cream shop around the corner to buy a popsicle.

    1. It kind of is. He’s excellent when on form but he’s incredibly inconsistent. Probably is good around 3 months out of the entire season.

      1. What does inconsistent mean to you? Does he have to have a goal or an scissor in every match to be considered consistent? Think about what you’re saying. Mans just won the league MVP. You think Lang will walk into the team and have a similar impact to Leao? That’s a dream…

        1. You’re right, Flossonero.

          The guy was elected MVP of the season, but in the amazing and wonderful world of fans who think that in one week the board can pull a plethora of great reinforcements out of their hat, he is simply crap… 🤣

          1. It’s too late to sell this season but unfortunately we should have. Also every year there is some new hot talent and everybody and their mom plays winger these days so it is easy to replace but not this late in the market.

            However, the writing is on the wall and he will likely leave for free. We’ve been burned already by 4 of our biggest value players now it’s happening again. We’re kidding ourselves if we think he is going to stay. Our current management can’t stand high salaries so yeah. We have to sell and soon so we can get high value.

            And no Leao isn’t world class yet, he has all the tools to be but needs to he more consistent and it’s not with goals, it’s with his decision making and motivation. Also, he got league mvp because we won the scudetto. Not that he wasn’t deserving but maignan tomori and even giroud were all equally deserving. Many seasons it’s super obvious who the mvp is, last season could have been a plethora of people, not just leao so yes he has developed into a very good player but he’s not God’s gift to man.

    1. “Keep him milan needs him to build a stronger team”

      Of course. But there are these incredibly shrewd figures who think it would be more rational to sell the guy a week before the transfer window closes, for an amount of money that IF THAT MUCH would allow us to trade six of one, half a dozen of the other, and not effectively improve the team. And all this, it’s always good to repeat, in just one week… 🤣🤣🤣

      1. They cannot buy players who can be important right away bcuz of the low income of the sponsors they can’t give high salaries so they have to purchase young players. Milan is now finally playing in the CL if they can come far enough they can convert money from the Cl and the serie A that will also be better for the fanbase more stars in the team means more shirt sales stronger marketing.

        1. “They cannot buy players who can be important right away bcuz of the low income of the sponsors they can’t give high salaries so they have to purchase young players. Milan is now finally playing in the CL if they can come far enough they can convert money from the Cl and the serie A that will also be better for the fanbase more stars in the team means more shirt sales stronger marketing.”

          Something plainly obvious for anyone who can think a little. But anyway, spot on comment, that’s it.

  4. Someone’s agent when to market with a shopping bag and the player claims to not be interested? How? If your agent went offering you to other clubs, you mist have known about it. Simple.
    If he wants to leave, at this point it has to be cash + player offer. Chelsea should offer us players in positions we require.

  5. It is a good business for milland if they agree to what is available now. And not regret letter. Cos deal like this don’t come around every time. Get a replacement , there is still one left. That should be enough for an ambious club.

  6. I feel Pioli is struggling to optimize the quality of the squad giving the type of players that we have because we have players more suitable for a 3-5-2 formation rather than the 4-2-3-1 that Pioli prefers. With a 3 man defence you can include Chalobah in a deal with Chelsea over Leao and have Chalobah, Kalulu and Tomori as CBs, very reliable. Salemaekers is a much better wingback than a fullback which is one of the reasons he has struggled. Florenzi and Calabria can easily do the wingback job and Theo already plays that way with the national French team. Pobega and Adli are seeing very scarce minutes because they adapt much better to a 3 man midfield. Tonali-Bennacer-CDK is an ideal starting midfield for that formation. With that formation we no longer have to worry about Messias or any RW problems for that matter and we wouldn’t have to worry about finding a substitute to Leao, should we sell him, so we could solve those two problems and invest in other positions too. Also, Rebic and Origi would get plenty more minutes with two strikers or we could sign someone there if we sell Leao. Chalobah would be a great signing for this, not only because he’s used to the 3 man defence but he can also play in the midfield, which could give Pioli the chance to switch to a defense of 4 during the course of a match if needed, without having to make substitutions. I feel the 3-5-2 formation would solve most of our tactical problems and would also fit a lot of our players better than the 4-2-3-1.

  7. The link with Chelsea is just Mendes’s fabrication to get better deal in renewal. They just signed Sterling, there is no way they spend such money for another LW. They won’t spend 56m for Sterling and 80-120m for Leao just to make one of them as backup.

    1. “The link with Chelsea is just Mendes’s fabrication to get better deal in renewal. They just signed Sterling, there is no way they spend such money for another LW. They won’t spend 56m for Sterling and 80-120m for Leao just to make one of them as backup.”

      Agree.

  8. If the offer came for 120M Milan sld have taken it.thry cld have gotten like 4 good players with that cash,but now if he decide to do a kessie we lose him the money and we end up with a 50M transfer kitty next season

  9. Dude, there is no bid from chelsea and they just splash money 85m euro for fofana. Do you think chelsea really want to buy leao 120m euro ? For sterling back up? Leao will stay with us until his contract expire in 2024 ( if AC Milan fail renew his contract) .

Comments are closed

Serie A Standings

Live football scores . Current table, fixtures & results.