Milan Transfer Market: Rafael Leão Caught Off Guard—An Unexpected Scenario for the Portuguese Player

Rafael Leao’s summer has taken an unexpected turn. In the space of just a few weeks, the Portuguese player went from publicly announcing the end of his time with the Rossoneri to being tempted to stay—thanks in part to the arrival of his compatriot Ruben Amorim as head coach—only to find himself once again at the center of a whirlwind that has shifted the balance yet again.

The smile he showed during the first training sessions seemed to signal a truce, but his omission from the squad for the friendly against Manchester United has thrown everything back into question: beyond any minor physical issues, the coach’s decision—which has begun to outline who’s in and who’s out during these weeks of preseason—appears to send a clear message. Amorim, specifically, does not seem to view Leao as a key part of the project.

The club has taken note of the situation and has decided to officially reopen the door to a transfer, this time with a much lower asking price than in the past: 50 million to let him go. This figure has reignited interest from several clubs, most notably Galatasaray, which immediately returned to the fray. The Istanbul club, however, isn’t the only one monitoring the situation.

In the Premier League—the league where Leao has stated he wants to play—Arsenal remains on the lookout: if the signing of Osimhen falls through, the Gunners could turn their attention to the Rossonero player. Other English teams as well—all with significant financial resources beyond their seasonal objectives—are evaluating the opportunity. And a bid from Saudi Arabia cannot be ruled out either, with Al‑Hilal potentially reuniting the Theo Hernandez-Rafael Leao duo on the left side of the field.

After publicly declaring his desire to embark on a new chapter away from Milan, the Portuguese player will have to take responsibility for his words and decide whether to accept one of the offers that could arrive in the coming weeks. But there is also another possibility, one that’s been discussed less but is far from remote: if all negotiations were to fall through, Leao would remain at Milan with no guarantee of a starting spot.

In that case, however, he would first have to win over Amorim—who currently does not consider him indispensable—and then convince the locker room and the fans that he is willing to give 100 percent for the Rossoneri, after having taken both his teammates and the club’s supporters by surprise with the announcement that he wanted to leave Milan and the Rossoneri once the World Cup was over.