Why Boehly must listen to Ronaldinho message after £59m Chelsea transfer decision for Arsenal target
Prior to the forthcoming transfer window, Ronaldinho appears to have led Chelsea in the direction of Rafael Leao. Following outstanding performances that have taken the Italian giants to their first Scudetto in eleven years, the 22-year-old has been extensively linked with a move away from AC Milan this summer.
This season, he appeared 34 times for Stefano Pioli’s side in Serie A, assisting on 21 goals. Leao’s contract at the San Siro expires in June 2024, and he has recently piqued Arsenal’s interest, with Mikel Arteta looking to boost his frontline following the exits of Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette.
However, amid Todd Boehly’s mission to recruit star-studded stars to Stamford Bridge this summer, the Portugal international’s strong performances have apparently piqued Chelsea’s interest. The west Londoners are keeping an eye on Leao’s predicament, according to 90min, with Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku, and Hakim Ziyech all facing unclear futures.
According to La Repubblica, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain have also emerged as strong contenders for the forward’s services. According to the source, both parties are willing to triple Leao’s salary ahead of a possible transfer in the coming weeks.
Milan, on the other hand, are thought to be keen to keep the forward’s services and are willing to offer him a new deal in order to fend off interest. Leao, who is rated at roughly £59 million by CIES Football Observatory, has piqued curiosity with brilliant displays for Milan, to the point where all-time great Ronaldinho has dubbed him “one of the best” players in the world.
Speaking to DAZN, the former Ronaldinho showered the Portuguese winger with the utmost praise. Ronaldinho said: “Leao is one of the best now,” Ronaldinho said. “I see him and I like him a lot, he’s one of the best today.”
However, The American-led consortium, who agreed to a £4.25billion deal to buy Chelsea last week, is expected to ‘push for A-list signings’ to mark a new era at Stamford Bridge, according to the MailOnline. And, while Leao has reportedly courted the Blues’ attention from when he first burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old rough diamond in the Sporting academy four years ago, it should be in Thomas Tuchel’s best interest to reignite the west London side’s intrigue.
Chelsea are in need of a dynamic and borderline elite-level wide-man who can juggle the demands of both an inside forward and traditional touchline-hugging winger. Leao should be the Blues’ leading candidate; he’s in the 95th percentile among all players in his position across Europe for dribbles completed, an excellent progressive carrier, finds himself in the box often, is good in the air, scores a healthy number of non-penalty goals and will lift fans from their seats.
More often than not, Leao features on the left wing for Milan in a 4-2-3-1 formation in which with Olivier Giroud – a target man – in the side, he’s required to operate out wide and in the inside pockets. The 22-year-old would be an excellent addition to Tuchel’s side, whether he’s utilised in a new-look 4-3-3 or the archetypal 3-4-2-1.