Milan hope Aston Villa make an offer for Rafael Leao after Tielemans and Rogers sales
Quick summary
AC Milan are reportedly hoping Aston Villa will table a bid for Rafael Leao, banking on the Premier League side's recent player sales generating funds.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceAccording to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan need to sell Rafael Leao to finance the purchase of Konstantinos Karetsas and Aston Villa are seen as one of the clubs that might tempt the Portuguese winger.
Milan are waiting for offers for Rafael Leao, who confirmed at the end of May his desire to leave San Siro.
Leao transfer: Milan still waiting for offers
The Rossoneri certainly feel the same, with Gazzetta claiming that even an offer in the region of €50m could tempt the Serie A giants into selling the 27-year-old, who has a €175m release clause.
Barcelona and Manchester United have sounded out the winger’s availability, but have made no formal offers so far.
MILAN, ITALY – MAY 24: Rafael Leao of AC Milan looks on from the substitutes bench prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Cagliari Calcio at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 24, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Leao is not currently considering a move to Turkey or the Saudi Pro League and still hopes for an offer from one of Europe’s top five leagues, especially the English Premier League.
Gazzetta notes that after the sales of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa certainly have the financial resources to make a big investment in Leao, but it remains to be seen whether Unai Emery sees the Portuguese as a valuable addition to his team and if Leao would agree to join the Birmingham-based club.
Aston Villa are already in talks with Milan to sign their left-back Pervis Estupinan.
Milan have appointed ex-Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim as their new coach and, as Football Italia explained on YouTube , the Portuguese is eager to bring in a classic attacking midfielder rather than a winger, so Leao will be allowed to leave if the Rossoneri receive a suitable offer.
Genk star Karetsas has emerged as Milan’s priority for the attacking midfield role, but according to Gazzetta, the Rossoneri need to sell Leao to potentially secure a deal for the Greek talent, especially after investing nearly €100m in Gonçalo Ramos and Mario Gila.
Source attribution: this article content is based on the linked publisher feed/source. Chance adds independent soccer context, impact analysis, entity links, and related news.
What happened
Following the departures of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, AC Milan are believed to be hoping the Midlands club will redirect that money toward a move for Rafael Leao. The Portuguese forward has been the subject of speculation in recent windows, and Milan view Villa as a potential suitor with both financial capacity and squad need. The move would be complex given Leao's contract and valuation, but Milan would welcome an offer that eases their wage bill and potentially funds a rebuild.
Chance analysis
Leao remains Milan's most valuable attacking asset, but his inconsistency and high wages make him a candidate for sale if a top-tier buyer emerges. Aston Villa, with Champions League revenue and the financial muscle of their ownership, could theoretically afford a deal of that magnitude, particularly if they reinvest the Tielemans and Rogers funds. For prediction systems, this is a low-confidence transfer rumour with no concrete offer, but it signals Milan's openness to sell and Villa's potential interest in a marquee forward.
If Villa formalize interest, Milan's attack loses a key creator; Leao's role at Milan becomes uncertain pending a possible exit.
Treat as a low-impact transfer rumour; no bid is confirmed, but monitor for concrete Villa approach that could affect Milan's attacking options next season.