Chelsea promise to pay Rafael Leao’s €20m fine

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 23 Apr 2023 15:19 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea have promised to pay Rafael Leao’s €20 million fine in order to bring him to Stamford Bridge this summer.

That is according to A Bola, which reports that on Tuesday Sporting president Frederico Varandas and club directors met with Chelsea to discuss Leao.

In that meeting, Chelsea promised to pay the almost €20m owed to Sporting if they sign Leao this summer.

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Rafa Leao contract problems

This money refers to the compensation that Leao owes to former club Sporting Lisbon.

The forward was ordered to pay Sporting €19.5m after losing a court case over breach of contract.

Leao walked away from Sporting as a free agent in 2018 after the club’s training ground was invaded by fans, claiming it threatened his safety as an employee.

But Leao lost the legal case and he wants the club who he signs his new contract with to pay this compensation.

Leao’s contract at San Siro expires in 2024, and the problem over his compensation owed to Sporting has been a key reason why he still hasn’t signed a renewal.

In the event of the contract not being extended, Milan will sell him this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer next year.

Chelsea are considered the favourites for his signature if he does leave and the report from A Bola further strengthens this.

However, sections of the Italian media believe that Leao is getting closer to penning a renewal with Milan, and indeed there have been other reports claiming that Lille may be forced by the courts to pay the fine and not Leao.

Leao himself has endured an inconsistent season for Milan but he has been in brilliant form in recent weeks, playing a key role in the Rossoneri knocking out Napoli to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.