Galatasaray win the tug-of-war
Rafael Leao is set to leave AC Milan. The Portugal winger has given the green light to Galatasaray, and the two clubs have agreed the framework of the deal, according to Turkish and Italian reports relayed by Foot Mercato. The fee is said to be around 45 million euros, with close to 5 million more in add-ons.
The 27-year-old is due to fly to Istanbul on Saturday, where a medical and a contract signing await. This one has dragged on for weeks. Leao had already reached broad agreement with the Istanbul club a few days ago, before Aston Villa jumped back in and forced one last round of talks. Villa have lost their grip.
Try it for $0.99.
A Serie A title, and then seven years of the same argument
Milan signed Leao from Lille in 2019. He left a real mark: a Serie A champion in 2022, ending an 11-year wait for the Rossoneri, and named the league’s best player that season.
Since then, the debate around him has barely moved. Moments of brilliance that flip a match in an instant, followed by entire evenings when he simply vanishes. That inconsistency finally wore down a Milan board that had long resisted cashing in.
What 45 million says about where Galatasaray now sit
Spending that on a 27-year-old winger out of one of Europe’s top leagues tells you plenty about the Turkish club’s position in the market. Galatasaray are not shopping for fading names any more. They are landing a player in his prime.
For Milan, the deal clears a huge wage bill and brings in serious cash with only days left in the window. The bigger headache is who fills the left flank now.
Discover the rest of the FOOT news on our mathodds website and app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply