Leao bids emotional farewell to Milan amid Galatasaray transfer reports

Rafael Leao confirmed what had been rumbling through European football for weeks. The 27-year-old Portuguese winger is leaving AC Milan, the club where he spent seven seasons, won a Serie A title, and became one of the most electrifying attackers in Italian football. His departure, confirmed after Milan’s Serie A victory over Venezia on August 28, 2026, ends a chapter that saw Leao rack up 80 goals across 291 appearances. The destination: Galatasaray, in a transfer that ranks among the largest in Turkish football history. A farewell tinged with regret Leao didn’t try to hide his emotions. In remarks following the Venezia match, he made clear this wasn’t a move he took lightly. “The love that I have for Milan will never end.” He also revealed he had already said goodbye to his teammates, and that he wished the send-off at San Siro could have been different. For a player who arrived at Milan as a raw 20-year-old from Lille, leaving as a seasoned star clearly weighed on him. The money behind the move Galatasaray’s total outlay to AC Milan sits at approximately €45 million. That figure breaks down to a fixed fee in the range of €40-43 million, with the remainder coming through potentia...