€40 million puts Leao on the verge of a new club | Goal.com
Fenerbahce have stepped up their pursuit of Rafael Leao, dispatching officials to Italy for direct talks with Milan and the player's representatives, with Galatasaray and Benfica also keen.
Both the "Sport Italia" network and Turkish transfer market expert Yagiz Sabuncuoglu confirmed that the plane carrying director Cihan Kamer and a number of Fenerbahce officials landed on Monday evening at Milan airport.
Their mission is to thrash out the value of the deal and the personal terms with Milan's management and Leao's circle.
Reports suggest Fenerbahce want Leao for a maximum of 40 million euros. That figure represents the minimum Milan might accept, though the Rossoneri refuse to sanction any deal built around a loan with an option to buy.
The player remains on holiday after Portugal's World Cup campaign, having travelled to Brazil to promote his own clothing brand.
Leao is now preparing to join Milan's pre-season tour in Australia. He is scheduled to fly out there directly later this week, unless he strikes an agreement over his transfer before then.
Milan and the player both know a parting of ways will happen during the current summer window, yet the anticipated offers have failed to arrive. Serious interest has so far come only from Turkish clubs.
Galatasaray and Benfica have shown interest in the player too, with the Portuguese club moving more decisively after their negotiations with free-agent star Mohamed Salah stalled. Fenerbahce, though, are the first club to send officials in person to Italy to open talks.
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