The AC Milan transfer window continues to live to the rhythm of the Rafael Leão soap opera, which has become over the weeks one of the most cumbersome issues of the Milan summer. The Portuguese international had however been very clear before the 2026 World Cup, explaining that he felt he had given everything he could to the Lombard club and that he wanted to discover a new championship. His dream was in particular to join the Premier League, but the hoped-for offers never really arrived. Fenerbahçe then Galatasaray tried to take advantage of the situation, without however managing to satisfy the financial demands of the Rossoneri. Milan, who had long set the bar around 60 million euros, finally began to consider a slightly lower operation, provided that it allowed them to definitively turn the page. The problem is that Leão never completely closed the door to a new season in Lombardy, fueling a vagueness which does not help anyone. The player wants to continue to control his future, management wants to recover a significant sum and Rúben Amorim must build his team with a player whose profile does not seem to completely correspond to his system.
The situation became even more complicated with the emergence of Alphadjo Cissé. The young talent from 2006 took advantage of the first day of Serie A to put in a performance that immediately made an impression. Starting against Torino, the young Rossonero scored his first goal in the elite and above all showed impressive activity in an area which traditionally belonged to Leão. Italian observers quickly highlighted this new competition and some did not hesitate to highlight the difference in involvement between the two players. Cissé was present throughout the match, able to participate in pressing, making himself available in phases of possession and maintaining a constant offensive influence. This emergence obviously does not mean that the young player already has the level or status of Leão, but it does offer Amorim an alternative that he may not have anticipated at the start of his tenure. For Milanese leaders, this fact can also facilitate a possible separation with the Portuguese. If a satisfactory offer arrives in the last days of the transfer window, Milan now knows that it has an internal solution capable of gradually taking on more responsibilities.
Aston Villa joins the dance
And in fact, a new track has just taken on considerable importance. According to the Gazzetta dello SportAston Villa is now seriously interested in Rafael Leão and could become the suitor capable of swinging the file in its home stretch. The Birmingham club is coming off a particularly difficult first day of the Premier League with a heavy 4-0 defeat against Brighton and is clearly looking to react on the market. After the record sale of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for 137 million euros, the Villans especially have the financial capacity allowing them to consider a large-scale operation. Unai Emery would have identified Leão as a target likely to considerably strengthen his attacking sector, while the departure of Ollie Watkins to Al Hilal becomes clearer. The Portuguese also has the advantage of knowing the very high level perfectly and of having already played in the Champions League, a competition that Aston Villa will return to this season. The first discussions are not yet sufficiently advanced to speak of an agreement, but the file has clearly moved closer and Jorge Mendes is actively working to try to finalize this new possibility.
This English track could reshuffle the cards for Milan and accelerate the departure of a player whose cycle now seems to be coming to an end. Aston Villa has the financial means necessary to respond to the Rossoneri’s demands and a proposal around 50 million euros could be enough to reopen negotiations very seriously. For his part, Leão must now decide on the direction he wants to take his career. Galatasaray offers him a particularly lucrative contract, with a salary announced at 12 million euros net per season, but the Premier League represents a sporting challenge much more attractive for a player who had precisely displayed this ambition when discussing his future. Aston Villa also offers him the prospect of playing in the Champions League in a growing project under the orders of Unai Emery. In Milan, the scenario has become much clearer than it was until recently. The club is now waiting for the right offer and no longer necessarily has an interest in retaining its number 10 at all costs. With Cissé pushing behind and Amorim already appearing to have moved his team forward faster than expected, Leão’s departure could ultimately pave the way for a new page.
