Galatasaray agree €38m deal to sign Rafael Leao from AC Milan

Galatasaray have announced an agreement with AC Milan to sign Portugal forward Rafael Leao in a deal worth €38m, plus 20% of any future resale fee.

Leao is set to sign a four-year contract with the Turkish club and will earn an annual salary of €10m. He will wear the number 27 shirt at Galatasaray.

The club published a video showing the 26-year-old on a plane travelling to Istanbul, as he moved closer to completing his transfer.

The deal will make Leao the second-most expensive signing in Galatasaray’s history, behind Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen. Osimhen joined the club last summer for €75m.

Leao’s move will also rank as the second-biggest transfer in the history of the Turkish league. He chose Galatasaray’s offer ahead of a proposal from English club Aston Villa.

The forward played 31 matches in all competitions last season, scoring 10 goals as AC Milan finished fifth and secured qualification for the Europa League.

However, Leao had fallen out of favour under his fellow Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim, AC Milan’s manager, who had indicated that the player wearing the number 10 shirt could leave the club.

Leao began his professional career with Sporting CP before joining French side Lille. He moved to AC Milan in the summer of 2019 and established himself as one of the club’s leading attacking players.

Across seven seasons with the Rossoneri, Leao made 291 appearances, scoring 80 goals and providing 61 assists. He won two major domestic honours during that period: the Italian league title and the Italian Super Cup.

Galatasaray’s agreement with AC Milan brings an end to Leao’s time in Italy and gives the Turkish club one of the most significant signings in its history. His arrival is also expected to add further attacking quality to a side that finished fifth in the previous campaign and will compete in the Europa League.

The transfer remains subject to the completion of the formal stages of the move, but Galatasaray’s announcement and the footage of Leao travelling to Istanbul indicate that the deal is close to being completed.