Chelsea could be out of the transfer race for AC Milan winger Rafael Leao amid Christopher Nkunku’s potential summer move to Stamford Bridge, according to Sport Mediaset.
The Italian outlet claims that Nkunku will join Chelsea in July 2023 after the London club reached an agreement with RB Leipzig for a transfer.
However, Sport Mediaset also added that the transfer may also signal an end to Chelsea’s pursuit of Milan’s Leao.
Leao and Nkunku play in different positions at their respective club. The Portugal international plays on the left while the latter, while versatile enough to play in various roles, mostly plays as a number nine or a number 10.
So, how would Nkunku’s potential transfer affect Chelsea’s interest in Leao, whom Graham Potter is reportedly pushing for?
Sport Mediaset suggested that Chelsea consider Nkunku as an option for the left-winger role — or a wide number 10 in Graham Potter’s 3-4-3 system — and are unlikely to invest another €100-120million (£87-104m) in this position.
At the moment, Chelsea also already have Raheem Sterling, who is reportedly the club’s highest-paid player (The Guardian), to operate on the left flank.
Meanwhile, Leao is reportedly closer to signing a new contract with Milan. Sport Mediaset claims that Leao’s latest social media posts also indicate that an agreement over a new deal will be found in some way.
Interestingly, a couple of days ago, journalist Dean Jones claimed that Chelsea were the frontrunners to sign Leao despite Milan’s desire to keep the player.
Even if, as Sport Mediaset claim, Chelsea were reluctant to spend big on another attacker in the next two transfer windows, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech’s potential exits could easily change the situation at Stamford Bridge.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
