Rafael Leão holds the decision on his future after both Galatasaray and Aston Villa reached agreements with Milan, with the Portuguese now choosing between Istanbul and the Premier League.
What began as a straightforward move to Turkey has turned into a two-club contest in the space of a night, with Villa relaunching their pursuit the moment Galatasaray looked to have the deal sewn up. The fee is broadly settled on both sides; the sticking point is where Leão himself wants to play.
Galatasaray moved first, arriving at Casa Milan through intermediary George Gardi with an offer of €45m fixed plus €5m in add-ons, as MilanNews report. Milan accepted and reached a verbal agreement, after which Gardi met Leão's entourage and proposed a salary of €12m per season.
According to Fabrizio Romano, that agreement between Milan and Galatasaray was reached verbally at €45m plus bonuses, with talks over the details ongoing. "The decision is in Leão's hands whether to accept or wait for Aston Villa," Romano said.
Villa's response was to raise the stakes. On the player's wages they are offering less than Galatasaray, around €8m net per year plus bonuses still to be negotiated, banking on the fact that a move to England was one of Leão's stated priorities when the window opened.
The structure of Villa's bid is where it differs from the Turkish proposal. Rather than a straight fee, the English club are offering a loan with an obligation to buy, a formula that stretches the payment out for Milan while matching the overall value.
Sky's version of the figures differs slightly on the details. They report Galatasaray offering the player €10m plus €2m in bonuses against Leão's request for €12m plus €3m, while Villa have tabled €42m plus €3m in bonuses to Milan and €7m per year to the player. Sky add that Villa's alternative is an €8m loan with an obligation to buy at €42m, edging closer to Milan's €50m valuation.
Across both accounts the pattern holds. Galatasaray offer the bigger salary, Villa offer the destination Leão wanted, and the transfer fee lands in the same range whichever route is taken.
From here it is Leão's call, and Milan's summer hinges on which offer he says yes to.