Rafael Leao’s AC Milan-to-Galatasaray fee and salary officially revealed as Amorim reportedly secures Premier League replacement

Rafael Leao has officially finalized his departure from AC Milan, selecting Galatasaray as his landing spot despite late interest from Aston Villa. While manager Ruben Amorim has reportedly secured a replacement from the Premier League, the official financial figures detailing Leao’s transfer fee and salary in Turkey have now been disclosed.

After publicly expressing his desire to depart Milan following seven seasons at the San Siro, Leao struggled to attract offers matching the club’s initial 50 million euro valuation. Although his representatives pitched the winger to Aston Villa, Galatasaray pushed hardest to secure his signature, establishing themselves as his preferred destination.

Following the official announcement, Galatasaray revealed across their social channels that they reached an agreement with AC Milan on a €38 million ($44.1 million USD) transfer fee. While falling short of Milan’s original €50 million ($58 million USD) threshold, the Rossoneri secured a 20 percent sell-on clause for any future transfer involving the Portuguese international.

In addition to the transfer fee paid to Milan, Galatasaray outlined the terms of the contract signed by the 27-year-old forward. Under a four-year agreement running through 2030, Leao will earn a guaranteed net salary of €10 million ($11.6 million USD) per season.

While Galatasaray may not have offered the most prestigious sporting platform in Europe, the move represented a massive financial upgrade for Leao. According to cap tracking site Capology, the Portuguese forward earned €6.41 million ($7.4 million USD) gross annually at Milan, whereas his new deal in Istanbul elevates his pre-tax compensation to roughly €12.5 million ($14.5 million USD) per year, nearly doubling his previous wage.

Why are Rafael Leao’s fee and salary disclosed?

Unlike most European football clubs that keep transfer fees and player salaries confidential, Galatasaray operate under a completely transparent financial structure. This level of disclosure stems directly from the club’s corporate governance obligations as a publicly traded sports organization in Turkiye.

Galatasaray Sportif A.S. operates as a publicly listed company on Borsa Istanbul, Turkiye’s primary stock exchange. Borsa Istanbul unifies the Turkish equities market, precious metals exchanges, and derivatives markets under a single corporate regulatory framework.

Under capital markets regulations, Galatasaray are legally mandated to submit precise financial terms for major acquisitions and player compensation packages. These figures are officially reported to the Public Disclosure Platform (Kamuyu Aydinlatma Platformu, or KAP), Turkiye’s central electronic portal used to disseminate legally required financial statements, corporate actions, and material news to investors and the public.

Amorim secures Leao’s replacement from the Premier League

While transfer negotiations were ongoing, Leao participated in portions of AC Milan’s preseason under Ruben Amorim, functioning as one of the twin attacking midfielders in the manager’s tactical system. With Leao now departed, the former Manchester United boss has turned to the Premier League to reinforce his attack.

According to Fabrizio Romano, AC Milan have reached a verbal agreement to sign winger Omari Hutchinson on loan from Nottingham Forest. The Italian side will cover the player’s full salary for the duration of the 2026-27 campaign, with only official paperwork remaining to complete the move.

A product of the Arsenal and Chelsea youth academies, Hutchinson joined Ipswich Town on a permanent €23.5 million ($27.3 million USD) transfer in 2024-25, scoring his maiden Premier League goal against Amorim’s Manchester United in a 1-1 draw. After Forest acquired him for €43.4 million ($50.3 million USD) last summer, the English side could not guarantee the 22-year-old regular minutes, creating an opportunity for Amorim to land a player who impressed him as an opponent.