The Portuguese striker moves to Türkiye with a top player’s salary. His story at Milan ends after seven seasons of goals and regrets
Now it’s really over. After seven years with a Scudetto and an Italian Super Cup won and a Champions League semi-final missed, not without regret, Rafa Leao’s story in Milan has come to an end.
The Portuguese striker goes to Galatasaray who beat the competition from Aston Villa in a plot that has animated the last few days of the transfer window. The Turkish club had reached an agreement with the Rossoneri for a sum of around 40 million euros plus 3 in bonuses, lower than what Gerry Cardinale hoped to reach but still considered sufficient to avoid leaving Leao.
The salary had an impact on the final decision because the distance between Galatasaray and Aston Villa was so wide that it even surpassed the player’s desire to compete in the Premier League. He will earn 12 million euros net for five years while in Birmingham he would have had to “settle” for 7.5: an overall gap of around 22 million which tipped the balance in favor of Turkey.
