GdS: Leao leaves for World Cup with future uncertain despite Galatasaray’s huge offer

Rafael Leao will soon jet off for the World Cup with Portugal, all while his future at club level has perhaps never been so unclear.

La Gazzetta dello Sport recall the bombshell that Leao dropped over the weekend during an interview with Sport TV in Portugal, regarding where he sees his Milan future: “I’ve given it my all, I want a new challenge in another league.”

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The last year has been incredibly difficult, with pubalgia sapping his energy, minutes on the pitch, and goals. He no longer seems himself and wants a change of scenery. Galatasaray, at the moment, are the only club that seems willing to offer him that chance.

Only Gala

Galatasaray’s plan is quite clear: they’ve let Leao know they can offer him a €10m contract plus bonuses per season. A significant contract, much higher than the €5.5m plus bonuses he currently earns at Milan.

Turkey aren’t the top destination for a player who was voted MVP of the Italian league four years ago. However, Galatasaray are ambitious, have a tradition of producing quality strikers from the Italian league (Icardi, Osimhen), and are offering significant contracts.

The impressio is that much of this story will be decided after the World Cup, in July and probably August. Negotiations with Milan are unlikely to develop now for at least a couple of reasons.

The first reason is Milan’s current situation, given they are seeking a head coach and a sporting director. It’s difficult to make strong decisions without a management there to make them.

The second is Galatasaray’s current situation. In Turkey, a club can have 14 foreign players, 10 with no age limit, and four U23s. Those spots are now all filled, so they must first sell, then they can make offers for non-Turkish players.

How much can they spend on Leao? Rafa’s current valuation isn’t far from €40m, but a lot will also depend on the answer to a simple question: will other clubs come forward? If so, the offer will have to be significant. If not, Galatasaray will be able to negotiate with Milan from a position of strength.