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From Turkey: Galatasaray have submitted a new bid to AC Milan for Rafael Leao, worth €45 million plus bonuses.

Rafael Leao’s future is expected to be decided in the next few hours. The Portugal forward has rejoined full training with the rest of the squad ahead of Friday’s home league fixture against Venezia, scheduled for 20:45, but he is still among the players who could leave. Galatasaray and Aston Villa are currently at the front of the race to sign him, while Tottenham remain on the outskirts. According to Turkish journalist and transfer market specialist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, the latest development today is a fresh proposal from Istanbul’s yellow-and-red club, who have offered AC Milan €45 million plus bonuses for the former Lille player. Sky Sport have reported that a meeting between the parties took place today in an effort to move the deal forward.

Waiting for AC Milan’s approval

At the moment, AC Milan have not confirmed the offer, but negotiations are certainly ongoing. Galatasaray understand Milan’s position and know that the asking price is still €50 million, so they are trying to close the gap by adding bonuses that are considered easily achievable. The Turkish club are hoping for a positive response: there are no problems regarding Leao, as an agreement is already in place with the player over a four-year contract worth €12 million per season.

Aston Villa still in contention

So what is Aston Villa’s position? For now, they remain in the running. After losing Konsa, now an Arsenal defender, Tielemans, who has signed for Manchester United, and Rogers, who opted for Chelsea, the English club are also set to part ways with Watkins in the next few hours after he agreed to move to Saudi Arabia, with Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal currently in pole position. In short, Villa have the financial strength to make a move for Leao and play a major role in the closing stages of the transfer window. Unai Emery wants at least two attacking signings: Crystal Palace’s Mateta, Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and the Portuguese forward are all on his shortlist. But they cannot afford to wait much longer, as the time to make a decision is fast approaching.