AC Milan winger Rafael Leão is set to join Turkish champions Galatasaray after rejecting interest from Premier League side Aston Villa. The development was reported on August 29, 2026, after Leão bid an emotional farewell to teammates following Milan's 2-0 Serie A win over Venezia at San Siro.
According to media reports, Galatasaray and Milan have agreed a deal worth 45 million euros for Leão, whose contract runs until June 2028. Aston Villa had made Leão a priority and offered a verbal salary of around 7.5 million euros per year but did not table a formal bid that met the club's valuation.
Galatasaray offered a package of 12 million euros per year until 2030. The recruitment effort included direct involvement from Galatasaray winger Leroy Sané. Turkish journalist Burhan Can Terzi shared an anecdote about Sané's role, quoting him telling Leão on the day the Villa news broke: "Don't go to Villa, you need to come here."