Fenerbahce's massive €8m offer for Rafael Leao

The future of Milan's star winger is taking shape around Fenerbahce's bold move. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fenerbahce's offer to Rafael Leao includes the following details: a five-year contract, an annual net salary of €8 million, a €1.5 million bonus for reaching 20 appearances in a season, a €1.5 million bonus for scoring 15 goals, and a €1 million bonus in the event of a league title. Fenerbahce's offer to Milan is reported to be around €50 million.

This move has also shifted the balance of the Istanbul rivalry. According to Corriere dello Sport, Fenerbahce have moved ahead of city rival Galatasaray, long considered the favourite, in this race; it is recalled that the player spent part of his holiday in Turkey with his family and has removed all references to Milan from his social media account.

There is a familiar name behind the transfer's background. Jorge Mendes is reported to be closely following this process, having previously and unsuccessfully offered the forward to Barcelona and Manchester United.

Milan, meanwhile, have a backup plan ready. Should Leao depart, the club is reported to be considering Genk's Greek talent Konstantinos Karetsas, born in 2007, as a replacement, with at least €40 million demanded for that transfer.

The player's World Cup performance, however, did not have the anticipated effect. Leao's showing at the tournament — aside from his goal against Uzbekistan and his assist in the match against Croatia — failed to trigger a wider bidding war; the player is still hoping for an offer to arrive from the Premier League or Spain.

Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
Image: BeIN Sports