Gerry Cardinale is set to meet Rafael Leão to discuss the winger's future, with both club and player still committed to a summer exit, according to Corriere dello Sport.
Leão made his intentions clear at the start of the window, saying he wanted a fresh challenge after achieving what he set out to with the Rossoneri. The problem is that the market has not moved the way he expected, and with the season approaching, the runway for a deal is getting shorter.
His preference was for La Liga or the Premier League, but no concrete offer has arrived from either. The nearest thing to an actual exit route has come through Galatasaray, and even that avenue has run into complications.
Against that backdrop, Cardinale will sit down with Leão, and Corriere dello Sport reports that the meeting will "reiterate their mutual desire to part ways." Agreeing on the principle is one thing; finding a structure that works for the club, the player and a buyer is where it keeps stalling.
Despite that, the belief inside Milan is that the matter can be resolved "somehow" by the opening game of the season.
The timing carries an edge. Cardinale is reportedly meeting several squad members to hear their thoughts on the season ahead, and Leão will not be granted that same conversation about staying, a consequence of the position he put himself in when he asked to go.
For Milan, the calculation is simple enough: a player who has said he wants out, with no firm bid on the table and a self-imposed deadline creeping closer. From here, the meeting with Cardinale is the next move that matters.