Galatasaray SK has officially announced that an agreement has been reached for the transfer of Portuguese forward Rafael Leão. The 27-year-old will wear the No. 27 shirt at his new club.
Born on June 10, 1999, in Almada, Portugal, the 1.88-meter-tall Portuguese forward stands out, particularly on the left wing, thanks to his exceptional pace, technical ability, and effectiveness in one-on-one situations. He has spent a significant portion of his career wearing the AC Milan shirt.
Leão began his football journey in the Sporting Lisbon academy, joining the club’s youth setup in 2008 at a very young age. After quickly attracting attention with his performances for the youth teams, he was given an opportunity to feature for the first team during the 2017–18 season.
Leão began his professional career with Sporting, but following events at the club in 2018, he departed and moved to France. In the summer of 2018, he signed with Lille OSC, opening a new chapter in his career. Despite being only 19 years old, the Portuguese star played an important role in his first Ligue 1 season, scoring eight goals in 27 league appearances.
His sole season at Lille proved to be a turning point, as his performances attracted the attention of several major European clubs. Particularly impressive with his pace, ability in open space, and runs in behind the defense, Leão earned a move to Italian giants AC Milan at the end of the season.