Amorim: Leao is a Milan player as long as he is with us

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Ruben Amorim insists Rafael Leao remains part of his AC Milan plans until a move is finalised, having included him in the club’s pre-season tour of Australia.

Leao has made no secret of his desire to leave Milan this summer, with the 27-year-old revealing he has held talks with the club about a potential exit.

He joined Milan from Lille in 2019 and has gone on to make 291 appearances for the Rossoneri, scoring 80 goals and providing 55 assists.

Turkish sides Fenerbahce and Galatasaray have been heavily linked with Leao’s signature, while Tottenham were also said to be interested in a deal.

The Portugal international appeared for his country at the World Cup, where they lost to eventual winners Spain in the round of 16, and is set to join Milan’s squad in Australia after his extended holiday.

While a move to the Turkish Super Lig looks the most likely outcome, Amorim is keen to sit down with the player and figure out what is best for the team as a whole.

“It’s not complicated: for me, the team is the most important thing,” he told reporters.

“I’ll talk to Rafael, [Goncalo] Ramos, [Alexis] Saelemaekers, and all the players returning from the World Cup to explain what we’ll do. They already know what it means to play for a club like ours.

“I know there are a lot of rumours about some of our players, but they’re staying with us until something changes.

“The goal is to prepare the team for the first match, and that’s what we’re focused on. Everyone will train and fight for a place in the squad, that’s for sure. There’s nothing new and nothing different.

“I treat the players differently because they’re all different people, but the rules apply to everyone. It’s pretty simple; we don’t complicate things: it’s about training, having fun, helping the team, sharing a lot with the fans, and preparing the players.”

Your Rossoneri squad for the Summer Tour 2026

— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 26, 2026

While Leao’s future is up in the air, Luka Modric has committed himself to Milan by penning a one-year contract extension with the club.

He joined the Rossoneri as a free agent last summer, going on to make 32 starts in 34 Serie A appearances.

His future had been in doubt following Milan’s failure to reach the Champions League, which was followed by Massimiliano Allegri’s sacking, but Amorim is excited to work with the Croatian. 

“From what I saw last season, he can still play at a very high level,” Amorim said of Modric. “He did very well, not only during the season, but also at the World Cup.

“I think we need experience: we’re bringing in a lot of young players, and for a young player to succeed, we also need to surround him with experienced players. That’s the main objective.

“It’s not just about the quality that Modric and the other players will bring to the team, but I want a team that includes young players, because that’s really important, not only for our club, but also for the national team, for example.

“We’ve made a great effort to keep Luka in our squad, and I think he’s really happy. We’re talking about AC Milan: I think anyone in the world wants to play for a club like ours, with our history.”

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