Galatasaray starts official talks with Leao as he arrives in Istanbul

Official talks underway

As Mundo Deportivo reports, Galatasaray has announced this Saturday the start of formal negotiations with AC Milan to sign Rafael Leão.

The Portuguese winger, 27 years old, landed on the same day in Istanbul. The club also posted a video on social media showing him on the plane that brought him to the Bosphorus city. The Turkish side’s statement is direct: “Formal negotiations have been initiated with the player Rafael Alexandre da Conceição Leão and his club AC Milan SpA regarding his transfer.”

A “new chapter” and Champions League

In his comments, Leão described the move as a major step in his career and said he’s excited about the chance to play in the Champions League again. “I’m very happy to sign for Galatasaray. It’s the start of a new and important chapter in my career. I’m thrilled to go back to playing the Champions League, where I believe we can achieve great things,” he said.

While Mundo Deportivo notes that the agreement’s financial details were not published by the parties, Turkish media estimates that Galatasaray would pay €45m plus bonuses to Milan, and that Leão would receive a deal worth €12m per year.

Finally, it’s also been reported that Leão could wear shirt number 27 and that he’ll watch tonight’s league match from the stands against Göztepe.