The deadline to purchase Rafael Leao for a mammoth fixed fee, €175M, has passed without drama. Despite some early rumors about some Saudi sides being hot on his trail, Milan haven’t received anything concrete so far this summer, Calciomercato informs.
The release clause is valid only for 15 days each summer. That will be the case for the duration of his contract, which lasts until 2028. The Rossoneri execs and the player have been consistent regarding his permanence this year.
The biggest threat against that comes from Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal in particular. They have kicked the tires on Leao through an intermediary in recent weeks but didn’t propose a bid. The transfer market window there will formally kick off in a few days.
Past the July 15th deadline, the teams that want the mercurial winger will have to go through Milan to snap him up. The offer would have to be really massive. All signals point toward his permanence.
The attacker already met with new coach Paulo Fonseca, who visited him in Germany during Euro 2024. He’ll resume practicing in late July and start playing in the friendlies during their United States trip.
Our Take on Leao
It’s a La Liga-style sky-high release clause that will never be touched. Still, it’s hard to imagine they’ll put up much resistance if a team tabled a bid north of €100M. It probably won’t happen given his seesawing performances and long-term contract, but a couple of European giants could use a new left winger this summer.
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