Rafael Leao's future remains up in the air. Holidaying in Brazil after the 2026 World Cup, the Portuguese winger has admitted talks are under way, saying: "I have spoken with the club about the possibility of taking on a new experience, but I do not know what will happen next."
Turkish side Fenerbahce are the ones circling. They are ready to open official negotiations, according to Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo".
Their offer is a tempting one. Fenerbahce have tabled a five-year deal worth a net annual salary of 8 million euros, topped up with a package of bonuses: 1.5 million euros for playing more than 20 matches, another 1.5 million euros for scoring 15 goals, and a further million should he help them win the domestic title.
The Turkish club want to wrap up the deal permanently for 40 million euros as a fixed fee, a figure that could climb to 50 million euros once variables and add-ons kick in, or sign him on loan with an obligation to buy.
Driving all this is newly elected president Aziz Yildirim. He wants a team strong enough to qualify directly for the Champions League by winning the Turkish league, a title missing from the club's cabinets since 2014 after four straight seasons finishing runners-up behind Galatasaray.
The spending has already started. Fenerbahce have laid out 40 million euros for Mason Greenwood from Marseille, 18 million euros to bring back Vedat Muriqi from Mallorca and around 9 million euros for Nathan Ake from Manchester City. All that remains is the left-winger they crave: Leao.
Fail to get it done in the coming days and Leao will join Milan's camp next Wednesday in the Australian city of Perth to resume training. The Portuguese star, whose contract runs until 2028, said on Brazilian podcast "Podpah": "As long as I am here, I will give everything I have, armed with lasting respect for the club that gave me everything."
Still training on his own inside the headquarters of Brazilian club Corinthians, Leao added: "I think it is a club that helped me a lot on every level, but in life a person has ambitions to take on other experiences. If the right opportunity appears, I will study the available options, but until this moment I am still a player in Milan's ranks."