Chelsea are said to be keeping their eyes on AC Milan striker Rafael Leao ahead of this summer’s transfer window, according to reports.
Thomas Tuchel’s side will be preparing for a busy few weeks of transfer activity in the hopes of closing the gap on runaway Premier League title challengers Manchester City and Liverpool.
The Blues finished third in the table by the end of last season, finishing above London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in fourth and fifth respectively.
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Attacking reinforcements may be a key area to focus on in the window, with some of Chelsea’s current options struggling in front of goal throughout parts of the campaign.
According to 90min, the Blues are believed to be ‘keeping tabs’ on Milan forward Leao as they prepare for next season.
The 22-year-old, who has also made seven appearances for the Portuguese national team, featured 42 times across all competitions for the San Siro side last season, netting 14 goals and providing 12 assists.
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His performances did not go unnoticed in Serie A as he was named the league’s ‘Most Valuable Player’, with Milan also winning the title last term.
However while Chelsea may potentially be keen to sign Leao this summer, his current side are said to be working on giving him a new contract, with European Champions Real Madrid and fellow Premier League side City also being linked with a move for him.
Chelsea signed Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan last year for a club record fee of around £97.5m, with the Belgian international coming back for a second stint at the club.
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However both he and his former side are keen on a reunion this summer, with Lukaku scoring just 15 goals in 44 appearances last season for the Blues.
Inter are believed to be keen on signing him on a loan deal during the transfer window, but they will only cover around a third of his wages, an estimated £325,000-a-week.
Robert Lewandowski, who is set to leave Bayern Munich this summer after eight seasons at the Bundesliga Champions, has also been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but the striker recently confirmed his intentions of joining Barcelona.
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Kai Havertz appeared to be a more trusted option up top for Chelsea last season, especially in the absence of Lukaku when the latter was injured early on in the campaign.
The German could be relied upon once again next season should Tuchel’s side not sign any reinforcements in the role during the summer, but they could also look to use Armando Broja, who impressed during a loan spell at Southampton in the previous campaign.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, AC Milan
Robert Calcutt