Rafael Leao Returns to Training Amid Transfer Speculation

Rafael Leao is back on the training pitches at Milanello, but his future still sits on the market stall with a price tag attached.

The Portugal international rejoined Milan training on Wednesday after a 12-day absence, yet the club continue to listen to offers in the final week of the Serie A summer window. The situation is as clear as it is awkward: he is available, but only on Milan’s terms.

A star back on the grass, but halfway out the door

Leao had already signalled months ago that he viewed the end of the 2025-26 season as the right moment to move on. He has spoken openly about his ambition to test himself in the Premier League or LaLiga, and his name has been a permanent fixture in the gossip columns all summer.

The move, though, has never come.

Links to several European clubs have flickered and faded. Aston Villa were the latest to be pushed to the front of the queue, but, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Premier League side have now cooled their interest and decided not to advance negotiations. Other Italian outlets insist Villa have not completely walked away, but there is no agreement, no formal breakthrough, and time is running down.

Galatasaray have also stepped up, yet they, too, are short of Milan’s valuation. The Turkish club’s latest proposal is reported at €42 million including bonuses. Milan want €50m. For now, that gap holds the deal in limbo.

Milan already turning the page

On the pitch, Milan are behaving as if the page has already been turned.

Head coach Ruben Amorim has been blunt, stating recently that “Rafa is not important,” a pointed line that underlines where Leao sits in the current project. The Rossoneri have not built their early-season plans around him.

He did not feature in the pre-season friendly against Manchester United. He was also absent from the matchday squad for Milan’s Serie A opener against Torino at the weekend.

In his place, a new name has started to capture the spotlight. Teenage forward Alphadjo Cisse has wasted no time announcing himself, scoring his first Serie A goal in that opening league fixture and instantly winning over a fanbase that once viewed Leao as untouchable. The contrast is striking: one forward rising, another lingering in the background with a suitcase half-packed.

One week to decide

And so Leao trains, still a Milan player, still under contract, still capable of changing games — yet still for sale.

There is one week left in the Serie A transfer window. Milan’s stance is firm: €50m or he stays. Galatasaray sit €8m shy. Aston Villa hover in a cloud of mixed reports. Other admirers have yet to turn interest into concrete bids.

The clock is ticking. Does someone pay the price, or does Rafael Leao spend another season in a club that has already started to imagine life without him?