Galatasaray Intensifies Pursuit of Rafael Leao as Milan Lowers Price

Galatasaray have gone back in for Rafael Leao, with multiple outlets in Italy and Turkiye reporting renewed, “intensive” talks with Milan – even if no formal bid has yet landed on the Rossoneri’s desk.

The Turkish champions have turned their attention back to the Portugal international after seeing a €45m offer for Gabriel Martinelli rejected by Arsenal, who also made it clear the Brazilian has no interest in a move to Istanbul. With that door slammed shut, Leao is back at the top of Galatasaray’s list.

Milan’s stance, once rigid, is starting to bend. The club had initially looked for €50m plus €10m in bonuses, but the market never met that figure. No club was prepared to step up at that level, and that lack of concrete interest has forced the Rossoneri to reassess their demands.

Benfica, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray have all sounded Milan out over the 27-year-old in recent weeks. None of those approaches progressed to a written offer. The distance between what Milan wanted and what the suitors were ready to pay was simply too wide.

That gap is shrinking. Reports now suggest the price tag could fall below €50m plus add-ons, a threshold that invites fresh negotiations and gives Galatasaray renewed hope of striking a deal.

Leao and Milan had been waiting for a different kind of phone call. Once it became clear he was on the market, the expectation around San Siro was that a heavyweight from one of Europe’s top five leagues would make a decisive move. That wave of elite interest never arrived.

The clock, though, is ticking. Leao’s contract at San Siro runs until June 2028, and there is no plan on either side to extend it. With renewal off the table and his availability now public, a sale this summer looks less like a possibility and more like an outcome Milan are preparing to accept.

Whether that exit route runs through Istanbul is now the question driving talks in both Milan and Turkiye.