Rafael Leão to Galatasaray
Milan sell forward for around €45m

1. 30 Aug
   Milan confirm exit

   AC Milan released an official statement confirming Rafael Leão's permanent transfer to Galatasaray after seven seasons at the club.
2. 29 Aug
   Galatasaray announce signing

   Leão arrived in Istanbul to complete his medical and contract formalities, and Galatasaray officially announced his arrival.
3. 27 Aug
   Agreement in principle

   Galatasaray and Milan reached an agreement in principle on a fee reported at around €42m plus add-ons, with personal terms still being finalised.

Rafael Leão has completed a permanent move from AC Milan to Galatasaray, signing a four-year contract after seven seasons in Serie A.

AC Milan have confirmed the permanent departure of Rafael Leão to Galatasaray, with the Portuguese forward's move completed on 29 August 2026 after seven seasons at San Siro. Galatasaray and Milan had an agreement in principle in place by 27 August, reported at around €42m plus roughly €3m in add-ons, before Leão travelled to Istanbul two days later to finish his medical and sign his contract. Galatasaray's own announcement put the total package at closer to €45m with bonuses, while other reports had Milan's up-front fee nearer €38m — the figures vary by outlet, but the broad range is consistent. Milan followed with their own statement on 30 August confirming the sale. Leão has signed a four-year deal at Galatasaray, keeping him at the club until 2030.

Galatasaray moved for Leão early and stayed patient. The club's hierarchy — president, vice-president and sporting adviser George Gardi — had been working on the deal since June, according to Leão himself, who said their persistence was what won him over. Head coach Okan Buruk was keen on Leão's versatility across the front line, seeing him as the piece that completes an attack already built around Victor Osimhen and Leroy Sané. Aston Villa also made a late move for the player, but a Premier League switch didn't come together in time on personal terms, and Leão chose Turkey instead.

For Milan, it's a significant exit. Leão joined from Lille in 2019 and went on to make 291 appearances for the club, scoring 80 goals and providing 65 assists, and he was a key figure in Milan's 2021-22 Scudetto win and their 2024 Italian Super Cup triumph. Milan's statement was short and didn't explain the reasoning behind the sale, simply thanking Leão for his 'professionalism and passion' over seven seasons — but losing a player of his pace and dribbling leaves a direct gap on the left of their attack that the club will need to fill.

His output had eased off from his peak years without falling off a cliff: in Serie A in 2025-26 he scored 9 goals in 29 appearances, with 10 goals and 3 assists across all competitions in 31 games. That's a lower return than his best Milan seasons, but still enough end product to make him one of the more dangerous wide forwards in Serie A — and it's the level of player Galatasaray have paid for.

At Galatasaray, Leão is expected to play on the left of Buruk's front three, with Osimhen central and Sané cutting in from the right, giving the champions a mix of directness, pace and finishing up front. Leão and Osimhen are known to be close off the pitch and have both spoken about wanting to combine well together, with the club hoping the pairing can help them push further in the Champions League as well as defend their Süper Lig title.

The deal ranks among the most expensive in Turkish football history and is another marker of Galatasaray's spending power this summer, following other high-profile arrivals as they back up last season's title win with a squad built for Europe.

• Announced by the clubs100

A sourcing score, not a chance of completion: it grades how solid the reporting behind the move is. The stage and the evidence come from the sources listed below; the arithmetic is fixed in code, the same for every deal.

• OFFICIAL STATEMENT: RAFAEL LEÃO
• Official: Galatasaray Announces Arrival of Leão
• Rafael Leão arrives in Istanbul ahead of move to Galatasaray from AC Milan
• Revealed: Why Rafael Leao snubbed Aston Villa for shock €45m Galatasaray transfer
• Aston Villa make late offer to sign Rafael Leao; Galatasaray have an agreement in principle
• Rafael Leão Stats - Goals, xG, Assists & Career Stats