Chelsea target Rafael Leao has scored just three goals this season
Chelsea have avoided a massive blunder after they decided not to sign Rafael Leao last summer, as the forward has scored zero goals this season since September.
According to the Italian report Gazzetta dello Sport, (h/t Express), the West Londoners were prepared to spend £100 million for his signature and were ready to renew their interest in the Portuguese before Leao signed a new deal in Milan.
At the time, it was evident as though the Blues had lost out on a player of a generation, but as time goes on, it feels like the team has avoided a mistake following Leao’s decline in form at San Siro.
The 24-year-old spearheaded Milan to the Serie A title and was the main character at the club, which led to many clubs wanting to sign him. The Blues admired the former LOSC Lille forward and were ready to go big for him, but the Portuguese signing a new deal saw the Blues step back.
Leao hasn’t scored in four months, which will certainly reduce his stocks, and clubs will lose interest. Despite failing to score, the forward remains a decent provider for the club, with six assists.
However, for a player of his calibre, he should have matured into Milan’s most important player and should have been the future of the club, given that he has signed a new deal until 2028.
We are not anymore in the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era, where scoring 30+ goals for them was the bread and butter. Now even more than 10 goals seems impressive for the players, and a player like Leao, who was the paramount player in leading Milan to the Serie A title, much was expected from him every season.
He was seen as a future prodigy, it seems like he has suffered a dip in form, and maybe he will bounce back in the second half of the season or next campaign.
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We can see how the Argentine is gradually boosting Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke’s confidence; the same could have transpired with him, but it was not meant to be. Had we been able to sign him under Mauricio Pochettino, he would have been crafted into an incredible forward.