Chelsea have reportedly told Jorge Mendes that they are willing to pay Rafael Leao’s compensation fee to speed up his move to Stamford Bridge.
Leao – who was named Serie A’s ‘Most Valuable Player’ last season as his 11 goals and eight assists helped Milan to their first Scudetto for 11 years – has been on Chelsea’s transfer shortlist for much of the window, but speculation over a move to west London has increased in recent days.
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It’s claimed the two clubs held talks over the weekend, including the possibility of Milan ‘taking one or more players’ in exchange for the 23-year-old.
A report claimed AC Milan ‘absolutely hope to keep Leao and could only capitulate if faced with an XXL offer, almost unreal, and certainly in the triple figures’.
The Portugal international’s release clause stands at €150m, but it’s claimed that Mendes, who represents Leao, ‘has every interest in exploring the market and looking for a solution over €100m (£84.4m)’.
The agent has ‘certainly spoken with Chelsea and Rafa Leao, assuring Milan that an offer will come’ and ‘he is not afraid to build a heavy transfer in the last week of the transfer window’.
On top of what would have to be a hefty transfer fee, the deal is further complicated by compensation still owed to former club Sporting Lisbon.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered Leao and Lille to pay £13.9m (which has now risen to £16m with 25 per cent of Leao’s salary being held by the court each month) to Sporting after the forward unilaterally terminated his contract before joining the Ligue 1 side, for whom he played for one season before his £27m move to Milan.
Mendes is said to have claimed it would be in Chelsea’s ‘sporting interest’ to alleviate Leao’s concerns over the fine as soon as he joins, and according to Calciomercato, the Blues have agreed to help the 23-year-old with the fine.
Milan have been working on a new and improved contract for Leao, whose current deal expires in 2024, but the forward – who can play on the wing as well as in the central striker role – is thought to be intrigued by a move to the Premier League.
What’s more, Chelsea are ‘desperate’ to sign him ahead of the transfer deadline, according to Express.
Chelsea could offer a number of players in exchange, with Milan previously showing interest in Hakim Ziyech…
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