Chelsea 'very keen' on bringing 'special' £32m star to Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea are “very keen” on bringing “special” Rafael Leao to Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The winger is currently competing at the World Cup with national side Portugal and performances may open the door to a potential switch in January, with Graham Potter eyeing a move for the current AC Milan player.

What is the latest news involving Leao?

Football London report that the Blues are monitoring a potential switch for Leao as his contract continues to run down with the Serie A giants, with it currently set to expire in June 2024.

While the £28k-a-week earner still has some time remaining on his deal with Milan, it appears that they are going to command a very high transfer fee if they are going to let him leave, with CalcioMercato recently indicating that they value their prized asset at around £87m – a huge increase on the £32m they themselves signed him for from Lille.

The report states that his current club have been unable to reach an agreement over a contract extension, so it is looking likely that they will have to cash in on the starlet while they still can.

It has also been claimed that Barcelona have joined the race to secure the services of the Portugal international, with the Catalonian side scouting him at the World Cup, and they will have been impressed by his performance in the opening game, notching a goal in a 3-2 victory against Ghana.

What has Jones said about Leao?

Jones believes that the Blues are plotting a move for the speedster, and indicates that they could even accelerate the transfer to ensure his signature in the January window, telling GIVEMESPORT: “He’s a special player, he is one that will end up in the Premier League and Chelsea have had a very keen eye on him, so it will be interesting just to see whether they decide to try and push things on and try their luck in January.“

Will Potter be impressed by Leao vs Ghana at World Cup?

As displayed in the 23-year-old’s well taken goal on Thursday night, his first for his country, the Chelsea target has a superb eye for goal, also illustrated by 11 goals in 34 Serie A appearances last season.

Goals are one important aspect of Leao’s game, but there is much more to it, with his former coach Tiago Fernandes drawing comparisons with Brazil legend Ronaldo for his “speed, technique and explosiveness” on the ball, while also likening him to Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of his incredible talent at such a young age.

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Against Ghana, Leao only had a 13 minute stint on the pitch, but these qualities were once again on show, earning himself a 7.1 SofaScore rating, the fourth highest of any Portugal player despite only having a very short cameo.

The Milan talisman will have definitely given manager Fernando Santos a selection dilemma heading into the next game, against Uruguay, and albeit he only had a short stint on the pitch, he has definitely made a statement to Potter over a January transfer switch.