Xabi Alonso is set to action a summer of change at Chelsea once he officially joins the club on July 1.
Following a disastrous campaign that saw the Blues miss out on European football when nine of their Premier League rivals qualified, Alonso has a huge task on his hands to assemble a squad that can challenge.
Multiple incomings and exits are expected, none more so than on the left wing, where Alejandro Garnacho is being linked with a departure, a year after joining the club from Manchester United.
Jamie Gittens is another who could leave Stamford Bridge, as he's arguably not good enough to play in Alonso's 3-4-2-1 system. The Spaniard needs a talented left-sided attacker to deploy alongside Cole Palmer and in behind Joao Pedro, with Rafael Leao emerging as a potential option.
Chelsea can sign Rafael Leao for just £43m
Leao has been on the radar of several Premier League clubs for years. A quick and explosive winger who predominantly plays on the left flank, the Portuguese international has been dominating the Serie A for years.
A nightmare for full-backs to defend against with his raw pace and power, the 26-year-old has produced 145 goal involvements in 291 appearances for Milan, almost returning a goal or an assist every other game.
The 2025/26 campaign brought up and downs for Leao, mainly due to physical problems, and even though there is a €120m (£104m) release clause in his contract, one Italian journalist suggests he could be available for a bargain price.
Il Galatasaray è pronto a offrire un contratto da 10 milioni più bonus a stagione a Rafa Leao.
— luca bianchin (@lucabianchin7) May 26, 2026
Derby turco con il Fenerbahçe, che per Rafa si è mosso nei giorni scorsi.
Nessun contatto ancora con il Milan. Possibile prezzo tra i 40 e i 50 milioni. pic.twitter.com/LjwvY3iMOa
According to La Gazetta dello Sport's Lucas Bianchin, Milan are willing to offload one of their stars for just £43m, with Turkish giants Galatasaray already offering him €10m per season plus bonuses in a bid to prise him away.
For just slightly more than the £40m Chelsea paid for Garnacho, Alonso could get a truly world-class winger and difference-maker in the final third.
Luka Modric thinks Leao is one of the best
It's scary to think of Chelsea fielding a forward trio of Palmer, Leao and Palmer next season and Alonso can use his powers of persuasion to make it happen.
A World Cup will naturally get more eyes on the attacking phenom, especially if Portugal go deep into the tournament, but either way, what AC Milan teammate Luka Modric once said about him suggests they should break the bank.
"Rafa is really amazing,” Modric said. “I was looking forward to playing with him, unfortunately he got injured quickly, but now he’s getting back to fitness. This is the Rafa that we need.
“He’s an amazing talent, from outside when I used to watch him and now when I train with him, I see he is one of the best players in the world. The incredible thing is that he can still improve, it just depends on him. I hope these two goals can help him grow his confidence and be the main guy for us, he will be very important and we will depend a lot on him. He showed why tonight."
Modric, arguably one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era, made those comments after Leao scored a brace against Fiorentina in October, and his words will surely be held in high regard by former Real Madrid teammate Alonso.
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