A proper soap opera. Rafael Leao’s summer has turned into an episodic saga that could run right to the gong of the transfer window, from his demands to play in the Premier League to the only two low offers received from Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. AC Milan are now weighing up which path to take in the final eight days of the window, not least because the Portuguese forward has not been excluded from the squad as happened to Fofana, Tomori and Nkunku, yet at the same time remains a tactical misfit for Amorim and a player the American ownership want to sell.
Aston Villa burst on to the scene
Gerry Cardinale has so far refused to budge on the €60 million valuation of AC Milan's number 10. That could now change: faced with an offer of €50 million, AC Milan would reopen talks over the sale of the Portuguese forward. England is back on the agenda too, with Aston Villa having set their sights on Leao just a few days before the end of the transfer window to strengthen their attack, with Ollie Watkins on his way out to Al Hilal.
Galatasaray’s offer
No offer has reached AC Milan so far. Galatasaray are still the only club to have made a proposal for Leao in recent weeks. After seven long seasons that have brought 80 goals and 65 assists in 291 official appearances, along with a Serie A title and an Italian Super Cup, the club now believe the Portuguese's cycle in Milan is over. There is also a clear tactical issue: the role of an out-and-out left winger does not fit naturally into new manager Rúben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system, which requires two "support strikers" with the traits of genuine attacking midfielders rather than wide forwards tied to the flank.
Leao's choice
The Birmingham club have finalised the record sale of winger Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for the astonishing fee of €137 million. With their coffers full, Basque manager Unai Emery has identified Rafael Leao as the profile to take their attack up a level. It remains to be seen whether the purchase terms and formula will satisfy AC Milan and whether Leao will accept Aston Villa's advances, a club in clear and constant structural growth that will line up on the prestigious Champions League stage in the 2026-2027 season.
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