International winger valued at £63m ‘wants to sign new deal’ with Serie A side despite Chelsea links

Portuguese winger Rafael Leao wants to sign a new deal with AC Milan despite being linked with Chelsea, according to reports coming out of Italy.

The 23-year old had an excellent 2021/22 season for the Serie A champions where he netted 11 goals in 34 games as Milan lifted their first league title in over a decade.

However, his contract is apparently well below what other top players in European football earn and the former Sporting CP star seemingly wants to see that addressed.

Here is everything you need to know about Rafael Leao including what is being reported in the Italian press

Who is Rafael Leao? AC Milan winger linked with Chelsea

Rafael Leao is likely to be one of the most sought after players in Europe if he is unable to agree terms on a new deal with AC Milan.

The 23-year old won the Serie A Most Valuable Player award last season - a prize that was introduced in 2018 and was previously presented to Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku.

Leao first signed for the San Siro club in 2019 having began his senior career at Sporting CP before spending a season in France with Ligue 1 side Lille.

He immediately established himself as a regular starter in the Milan first team and has made 123 appearances and scored 30 goals in all competitions since his debut season.

On the international stage, he has earned nine caps for Portugal since 2019 but is yet to score for his country.

What has been reported about Rafael Leao’s AC Milan contract and Chelsea’s interest

Per TeamTalk, who cite Italian publication La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Leao wants to sign a new deal at the San Siro rather than pursue opportunities elsewhere.

It is claimed that Chelsea looked at the player in the summer but were ‘unable to prize him away’ from the Italian champions.

Leao’s current contract expires in 2024 and is reportedly worth just £35,000 per week, a relatively low figure for a player valued at £63million by football statistics site Transfermarkt.

The player is said to be looking for a figure almost four times that with the Italian press claiming ‘there are still steps to take to reach a middle ground’.