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Türkiye's reigning champions Galatasaray announced Saturday that it has formally opened transfer talks with Rafael Leao and AC Milan, with the Portuguese winger expected to arrive in Istanbul that afternoon.
Leao’s flight took off from Italy for Istanbul, where he was expected to land at 3:45 p.m. local time (GMT+3) at Ataturk Airport, the club confirmed.
The agreement with AC Milan is worth €45 million ($52.1 million), including bonuses, while Leao is set to receive €12 million per year, also including bonuses, according to initial reports.
Leao's departure brought an end to a seven-year spell at Milan, where he made 291 appearances in all competitions, scoring 80 goals and providing 65 assists. He helped the Italian club win the Serie A title and Supercoppa Italiana and played a key role in its run to the 2022-23 Champions League semifinals.
The winger attended Milan's Serie A match against Venezia on Friday to bid farewell to supporters. He was not included in the squad for the match and did not play a competitive game for the club this season.
After the game, Leao confirmed his departure and spoke warmly about his time at Milan. "I am leaving tomorrow, I will always look at Milan. I love AC Milan and this will never finish. I wish all the best to Milan after so many years, I feel I am in the club’s history."
Earlier in the transfer window, Galatasaray’s archrival Fenerbahce also emerged as a serious contender in July, with club officials reportedly traveling to Milan for talks over the winger.
Italian media even claimed that Fenerbahce had reached a preliminary agreement with Leao on a salary of around €12 million a year, although the club still had to reach a deal with Milan.
Leao will be Galatasaray’s second and most expensive permanent transfer of the summer, after Aleksey Batrakov joined from Lokomotiv Moscow for €25 million.
The Yellow-Reds, who have won the Super Lig four times in a row, will also compete in the UEFA Champions League this season, facing tough tests against clubs including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa, Sporting CP, Feyenoord, Lille, Stuttgart and AEK Athens in the league phase.
Last season, Galatasaray reached the Champions League round of 16 for the first time since 2013-14, where it lost 4-1 on aggregate to Liverpool.
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