Amorim's Firm Stance on Leao Amidst Milan's Australia Tour
AC Milan have flown to the other side of the world, but the biggest question around their pre-season tour is travelling with them: what happens next with Rafael Leao?
The Rossoneri touched down in Perth, Western Australia, for the second leg of their pre-season programme and a behind-closed-doors friendly against Perth Glory. Leao, fresh from World Cup duty, is due to join the squad in the coming days. His suitcase, though, is packed with speculation.
Fenerbahce have moved from admiration to action. According to Sport Mediaset, the Turkish club have tabled an official offer for the Portuguese forward and even dispatched director Cihan Kamer to Italy to push talks along. Milan’s response has been blunt: they will set the terms, or there will be no deal.
“He is our player until anything changes”
Speaking in Perth, Ruben Amorim faced the inevitable barrage of questions about his star winger. The message was as sharp as it was simple.
“He is our player until anything changes, the team comes first,” Amorim said, as quoted by Gianluca Di Marzio. “It is not too complicated, for me the team is the most important thing.
“I will speak with Rafael, with [Goncalo] Ramos, with [Alexis] Saelemaekers, with all the players returning from the World Cup to explain what we will do. I know there is a lot of speculation about some of our players, but they remain ours until anything changes.”
No drama. No public courting of bidders. Just a clear reminder that, for now, Leao is still a Milan player and that pre-season work will not be hijacked by the market.
Fenerbahce’s structured bid hits Milan’s hard line
Behind the scenes, the numbers tell a more turbulent story.
Sport Mediaset report that Fenerbahce have put together a package worth up to €42 million: a €5m loan fee now, a €35m obligation to buy next summer, plus €2m in bonuses. It is an offer designed to spread the cost and reduce immediate risk.
Milan are not biting.
The Serie A club are holding out for a straight €50m fee and have flatly ruled out any kind of loan formula. They have already made that stance clear to Galatasaray and Benfica, warning both that only a permanent, clean sale will be entertained.
It is not a negotiating bluff. Milan’s summer spending has already passed the €100m mark, with Goncalo Ramos and Mario Gila among the headline arrivals. To fund further moves, they need cash, not complex structures and delayed payments.
A lucrative escape route – if the clubs agree
For Leao, the temptation is obvious. Reports suggest he is ready to accept a contract in Turkey worth around €12m per season, roughly double his current salary at San Siro. That kind of offer changes careers and, often, decisions.
So the forward flies to Australia with his future hanging in the balance. He could start the new campaign as the face of Milan’s attack, or he could be on a plane in the opposite direction before the window shuts.
For now, the clock ticks and the gap between €42m in instalments and €50m up front remains the key battleground.
Work on the pitch, noise off it
Amorim, for his part, is trying to insulate his squad from the swirl around them. Perth Glory await on Saturday, the next step in building fitness, chemistry and a clear identity before the competitive season begins.
He will sit down with Leao, Ramos, Saelemaekers and the rest of the World Cup returnees, lay out his plans and demand focus. The message is consistent: the badge first, individuals second.
But as negotiations with Fenerbahce roll on, and as Milan’s need for fresh funds collides with their valuation of one of their most prized assets, the question lingers over this tour and perhaps their entire summer:
Can Milan afford to keep Rafael Leao on their wing, or can they afford to let him go?
