Fabrizio Romano whether Chelsea could use 29-year-old in swap deal for Rafael Leao
Fabrizio Romano has claimed in his CaughtOffside column that there are currently no discussions ongoing that regard a swap deal involving Hakim ZIyech and Rafael Leao.
There have been a number of reports suggesting Chelsea are looking to sign the AC Milan winger dating back to the summer transfer window.
The Blues will have perhaps been using the pair of Champions League matches against the Serie A holders to see if he was the real deal.
While he looked dangerous in both fixtures, the brilliance of Reece James was on full display as he dominated the battle down that side.
While many reports have speculated the Blues will return for the Portugal star in the future, it won’t come as part of a deal for their own wantaway star.
He said: “There are always rumours about Hakim Ziyech and AC Milan, it’s almost three years.
Leao and Ziyech swap deal not on
“But there are no negotiations ongoing for Ziyech to Milan or to involve Ziyech in a deal for Rafael Leao.
“Hakim is appreciated by the Milan board but they didn’t want to proceed with a permanent transfer also last summer, Chelsea only wanted a permanent deal and so nothing happened.”
Both players are currently enjoying a strong World Cup campaign.
Leao has impressed as an impact sub in both games, scoring the winner in Portugal’s opening game against Ghana.
Ziyech meanwhile inspired Morocco to a shock win over Belgium at the weekend.
However, he has claimed at the World Cup that he is refusing to rule out a move away from the club in January, which reportedly satisfies both parties.
With Graham Potter the third Chelsea manager now to not seem to see the winger as part of his plans, and a departure looks like it’s inevitable.
