Milan director Paolo Maldini has left the door open for the sale of Rafael Leao as Chelsea is monitoring the situation. The 23-year-old Portuguese moved from Lille to the San Siro in 2019 and has since dominated Serie A. He was a role model for the Rossoneri as they finally won the Serie A championship. Last season, he attempted and finished (164/93) more takeaways than any other player in the Italian top division.
In that illustrious 2021/22 Serie A season, he also notched 11 goals and eight assists, demonstrating that he has the substance to go along with his flair. Such performance has inevitably attracted the attention of Europe’s elite, and Chelsea is rumored to be one of the most notable admirers. His form has continued into the current season, with the adaptable forward directly contributing to six Serie A goals in just six games (three goals, three assists).
“Have I turned down Leao and Theo Hernandez’s offers? I advised some not even to show up,” Milan director Paolo Maldini said. “The issue is that you then have to make a decision when they return. I’ll say it again: We don’t need to sell anyone in order to support the club. The accounts are in good standing. There are no longer any non-transferable players, which is a problem because we want to keep the best players.”
In terms of their dribbling prowess and contributions in the final third, both players have comparable attributes. Leao, however, has demonstrated a greater propensity to let free when the chance arises. Only Lautaro Martinez (28) has taken more shots in Serie A than he has so far, with 25. While Sterling has only scored 11, some may credit that to Chelsea’s sluggish start and a managerial shake-up more than his own hesitation in the attacking third. Furthermore, despite having fired fewer shots than Leao, Sterling’s shot accuracy is significantly higher at around 72% compared to 47%.
For more football news, click here
