AC Milan director Frederic Massara has declared that he wants Rafael Leao to reach a decision on his future by the end of the season. The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from the San Siro for some time now as he continues to impress for the Italian giants.
Leao, who sees his contract with the Rossoneri expire at the end of next season, has been closely watched by Chelsea since joining Milan in 2019, football.london understands. It's said that talks between the Italian side and the Portugal international over a new deal have been ongoing for a while but an agreement is yet to be reached.
After welcoming Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke to west London in January, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea will reignite their interest in Leao. Speaking to Sky Italia, Massara revealed that there's a 'mutual willingness' to reach an agreement, but the Milan director is looking for an ultimatum by the summer.
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"There is a mutual willingness to renew and it is a good foundation," said Massara, as quoted by Goal. "There are particular complexities, but we are facing them with confidence in the hope of finding a solution by the end of the season.
"Making percentages is a bit difficult: either we do it or we don't, it's always 50-50. There have been times when we seemed closer, others a little further away. It is a solution that we want to solve. It is clear that by the end of the season we have to figure out whether there will be a possibility to extend."
With Leao's future at Milan still somewhat in doubt, Chelsea could be handed a huge to their hopes of signing the forward in he hasn't penned a new deal by the end of the season. The Portuguese star has already earned his a stamp of approval from pundits in the United Kingdom.
Speaking on BT Sport, Jermaine Jenas described the forward as somebody who 'strikes fear into a lot of defenders'. The former Tottenham midfielder said: "He seems to have everything at the moment, doesn't he? At such a young age he strikes fear into a lot of defenders, he's getting himself enough goals and assists and I think doing it at a club like Milan at that age tells you a lot about the player.
"He had a little bit of something with his contract situation that I thought he handled really well during the January transfer window that I thought tells you a little bit about his character as well, he’s not going to be forced down a road. Milan will hope that he sticks around for a lot longer, and at that age to be a at a club like Milan doing what he’s doing, he’d be smart to as well. We'll see what the future holds."
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