Chelsea primed to rival Barcelona for Serie A sensation amid claims of cut-price transfer opportunity

Chelsea are interested in AC Milan winger Rafael Leao and could rival Barcelona for his signature after his price tag has been reduced, per reports.

The Blues looked at signing a new winger in January – Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho – but ultimately decided against matching his £70m valuation.

It’s claimed that is still an area Chelsea are looking to bolster this summer and Leao has been heavily linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge recently.

According to Spanish outlet AS, the London side are primed to rival Barcelona for Leao in the summer. The Catalans are still facing financial challenges, which puts Chelsea in a strong position.

The report suggests Chelsea view the 25-year-old as an ideal fit for their squad. They are preparing to have another big widow, as Enzo Maresca looks to build a squad capable of consistently challenging for trophies.

Leao is considered one of the best players in the Serie A on his day and has scored nine goals and made eight assists in 36 appearances this season.

The Portuguese international is under contract until 2028, which puts AC Milan in a strong negotiating position.

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AC Milan reduce Chelsea target’s price tag – report

Previously, Milan have told interested clubs to pay Leao’s €175m (£145m / $183m) release clause in order to strike an agreement.

However, reports from Italy claimed earlier this week that the Rossoneri are now willing to sell Leao for a vastly reduced fee of £66m (€79.7m, $83.5m), putting Chelsea and Barcelona on red alert.

That report interestingly added that Milan don’t feel Leao has improved as much as he should have done in recent years, hence why they’re now more open to selling him.

Leao could be one of several exits at Milan this summer, with Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Malick Thiaw and Samuel Chukwueze all at risk of being sold too, per the report.

However, it is worth noting that Leao has featured in all but two of Milan’s league fixtures this season, so he remains a key player for them and is trusted by manager Sergio Conceicao.

It will be interesting to see whether Chelsea do make any concrete approaches for him in the coming months, as a new winger remains a priority for Maresca.

Chelsea round-up: Torres ‘bid’ prepared, Gittens competition

Meanwhile, shock reports from Spain suggest that Chelsea are ‘preparing a bid’ for Barcelona winger Ferran Torres.

It’s suggested that the Blues are ready to make an offer of €30million (£25m / $31.4m) for Torres, who won the Premier League and the EFL Cup with Man City in 2020-21.

With Torres not guaranteed a place in the Barcelona starting line-up due to competition for places, Chelsea’s bid could open the door for a possible departure for the 24-year-old, who also won Euro 2024 with Spain.

In other news, Chelsea face stiff competition from Tottenham for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens.

Respected journalist Christian Falk has suggested Spurs could launch a stunning bid of up to €100m (£82.8m, $104.7m) for the talented 20-year-old.

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