Former AC Milan defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong has hailed Chelsea transfer target Rafael Leao as a star player.

“He’s so different to the other players they have [in that area],” De Jong said. “I’ve been watching him at AC Milan – he’s been fantastic and they became champions, mainly because he is their star player.

“With Portugal, it takes time to get into the starting XI, but when he comes on, he makes an instant impact.

“Because of the size of him, he looks more like a wide receiver from American football than an actual winger!”