“Happy here”- 23-year-old Chelsea target wants to stay at AC Milan, claims teammate

Sandro Tonali claims Chelsea target Rafael Leao wants to “stay at AC Milan”

AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali has claimed that his club teammate and Chelsea transfer target Rafael Leao wants to “stay at AC Milan”. The Blues have been heavily linked with the forward who sees his current contract expire in 2024.

Leao is yet to pen a new deal with Rossoneri, despite negotiations taking place for more than six months now. The 23-year-old has been crucial for the Milan-based club in recent years and has contributed heavily to their success.

Now, while speaking to Dazn as quoted by Fabrizio Romano, Tonali has claimed that the Portuguese international is “happy” at the club and wants to “stay” there.

“Leão wants to stay at Milan, you can see that — Rafa’s happy here and he’s always been key player for the club’s project.”

Romano further says that the Milan-based club have offered their star forward a new long deal worth €7 million-a-season, although there is no indication that he would be signing the deal.

The forward has been in terrific form this season, featuring in 21 games for his side in all competitions, scoring eight goals and registering another nine assists in the process. He was also phenomenal for his country at the World Cup, despite getting limited play-time.

Leao also played against us in the Champions League group-stages game earlier in the season. While the forward did not find the back of the net, he impressed at times and remained a constant threat for our defence in both the ties.

Graham Potter could do with a forward like the 23-year-old in his side. The likes of Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech have failed to impress so far and also have very uncertain futures at the west London club.

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However, considering his importance at his club it is highly unlikely that they will allow him to leave mid-season. It remains to be seen if the Blues can secure his signature in the future.