Milan Transfer Market: Ruben Amorim Takes a Hard Line on Rafael Leao

With the summer transfer window coming to a close, Milan has yet to resolve the thorny issue surrounding Rafael Leao’s future: the offers received so far have been deemed unsatisfactory, and at the moment—despite statements last June that seemed to signal his departure—the Portuguese player is still part of Ruben Amorim’s roster. The new Rossoneri coach himself, pressed on the subject during the press conference ahead of the league opener against Torino, responded without mincing words.

“Leao’s present and future? Right now, that’s not the most important thing,” he said. “We’ve strengthened the roster with high-quality players who have enormous room for growth: that’s a fundamental aspect at the start of a project. Our sole focus must be on becoming a real team, a family. Technical skills are important, but it’s the team that can cover up flaws and make the difference.”

“It doesn’t matter if you have the best players; what matters is being the best team,” added the former Sporting and Manchester United coach. “We have to show the fans, through our performances, that we want to bring this club back to where it belongs. We need to show spirit, a sense of belonging, and the will to fight at every moment and in every game. Playing here comes with great responsibility, and we all need to understand that. We have to think as a group, grow together, and become a team that knows how to win because it knows how to stay united.”

Leao had confessed his desire to leave Milan on the sidelines of the World Cup, which he played in for the Portuguese national team, stating that he was aiming for the Premier League. No concrete offers have come from England, however (only a few isolated rumors), and the only club that has made a persistent push is Galatasaray, which can guarantee him Champions League play but competes in a mid-tier league like the Turkish one.