Rafael Leão Increasingly Likely to Stay at Milan
No club has approached Milan’s €60m valuation of Rafael Leão. With interest from Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe yet to produce an acceptable deal, a stay is becoming increasingly likely.
Rafael Leão’s Transfer Situation Begins to Shift
Rafael Leão is becoming increasingly likely to remain at Milan for the 2026/27 season.
According to Corriere dello Sport, the Portuguese forward had hoped to continue his career in either the Premier League or La Liga. However, no club has yet submitted an offer close to Milan’s valuation.
Leão said in an interview with SportTV on July 31 that he felt he had given Milan everything he could and wanted to experience a new challenge in another league.
The transfer market has not yet provided the type of opportunity he was seeking.
Milan Continue to Demand €60m
Milan are reportedly asking for €60 million to sell Leão.
With less than a month remaining in the transfer window, no interested club has come close to meeting that demand.
Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe are named as the two Turkish clubs showing the strongest interest.
Corriere dello Sport reports that a loan proposal containing a purchase option and reaching no more than €45m including bonuses was rejected by Milan.
The Italian club are not prepared to approve Leão’s departure under the current financial terms or deal structure.
The report does not provide separate offer details for Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, so it should not be assumed that both clubs submitted identical proposals.
Premier League or La Liga Was Leão’s Preference
Leão had reportedly hoped that his next move would take him to England or Spain.
So far, however, no Premier League or La Liga club has made a concrete approach capable of satisfying Milan’s valuation.
Although Turkish clubs have shown interest and could offer a salary worth more than €10m per year, the report claims that Leão is not enthusiastic about moving to the Süper Lig.
That has significantly narrowed his available options.
Positive Signs During Milan’s Australia Camp
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Leão joined Milan’s pre-season camp in Australia.
The report describes him as motivated, smiling and fully involved with his teammates during training sessions in Perth.
His teammates are also said to be helping him remain integrated within the squad.
This does not mean a transfer is impossible, but it suggests that his relationship with the team has not broken down following his public comments about seeking a new challenge.
Ruben Amorim Keeps Leão Fully Involved
Milan coach Ruben Amorim had already made clear at the beginning of the tour that players linked with transfers would continue to be treated as members of the squad until their situations changed.
According to the report, Amorim has maintained that approach with Leão.
The coach has spoken regularly with the forward and continued to involve him in group discussions and tactical exercises.
This suggests that Milan are prepared to reintegrate Leão as a central attacking player should no acceptable transfer offer arrive.
Current Transfer Position
The situation reported by Corriere dello Sport can be summarised as follows:
Milan value Leão at €60m.
No club has approached that figure.
Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe remain interested.
A loan proposal with a purchase option worth up to €45m including bonuses was rejected.
Leão reportedly prefers the Premier League or La Liga.
He is said to be unenthusiastic about a move to the Süper Lig.
He is training normally with Milan in Australia.
Remaining at Milan is now considered increasingly likely.
There is currently no accepted offer or club-to-club agreement for Leão.
A transfer would require either Milan to reduce their demands or an interested club to submit a substantially improved proposal before the window closes.
Source: Corriere dello Sport — Antonello Gioia
