Chelsea
have not made an offer for Gonzalo Higuain ahead of the January transfer
window, says AC Milan's sporting director Leonardo.
The 31-year-old Argentine striker, who has scored just five Serie A goals
this season, is wanted by the Blues as part of a swap deal for Alvaro
Morata, according to Sky in Italy.
It is understood Maurizio Sarri has huge respect for Higuain, who he worked
with at Napoli and was interested in bringing to Chelsea in the summer.
Higuain is currently on a season-long loan at the San Siro from Juventus
after AC Milan agreed an €18m (£16m) fee with a further €36m (£32m) due
should they wish to sign the player permanently at the end of the current
campaign.
The money spent on the loan deal means that any club wishing to sign Higuain
in January would have to negotiate with both his current club, AC Milan, and
parent club, Juventus.
"It is difficult to manage a striker when he doesn't score," Leonardo said.
"Higuain must find the real himself, he is living in a different situation
for him, he left Juventus and he is here on loan. He is very important for
us and he knows it.
"We haven't received any offer from Chelsea - no one has asked us for him
and he didn't ask to leave. Anyway, at AC Milan we keep only the players who
want to stay here."
Milan head coach Gennaro Gattuso believes Higuain will stay at AC Milan,
calling on the striker to rediscover the prolific goalscoring form that he
had with Napoli and Juventus.
Gattuso said: "I want to see the Higuain of the second half against
Frosinone. That is the real Higuain, always dangerous, who easily dribbled
past the opponents, who had a couple of chances to score.
"Every day I hear people saying that Sarri or someone else called Higuain. I
think he will stay, if he won't it will mean I was wrong. My opinion, my
feelings are based on what he said to me. My impression is he will stay
here."
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