Aston Villa manager Unai Emery throws his hands up
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery throws his hands up
Aston Villa lead the race to sign AC Milan winger Rafael Leao, who is open to a switch to the Premier League club, according to Sky Sports.
Leao endured an underwhelming 2025/26 season by his standards, netting just nine goals and providing just three assists in 29 Serie A appearances. Despite this, several clubs are still interested in prying the Portuguese away from the San Siro, including Villa and Galatasaray.
The Villans, desperate to rebuild after losing a number of key players this summer, have identified Leao as one of their top targets and are looking to secure an agreement with the player before they contact Milan.
Galatasaray aren't said to be completely out of the race to land the 27-year-old, although Villa Park is understood to be his preferred destination.
Aston Villa Could Have Rafael Leao Available For Arsenal Clash
Rafael Leao in action for AC Milan
Rafael Leao in action for AC Milan
Villa have endured a miserable summer, and this negative mood music around the club bled into their opening-day Premier League fixture away at Brighton. The Seagulls thrashed the West Midlanders 4-0, in a game in which Unai Emery fielded an unrecognisable starting eleven.
The Europa League champions have lost a huge portion of their starting eleven from last season, with the following players either having already left or expected to leave before the window closes:
Emi Martinez
Ezri Konsa
Lucas Digne
Youri Tielemans
Morgan Rogers
Ollie Watkins
Clearly, they're in desperate need of reinforcements, and Leao could prove to be a major addition which boosts the damaged morale around the Birmingham-based club.
According to reputable Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Leao is keen on a switch to the West Midlands.
"This evening, further contacts with Aston Villa for Leao; Villa is currently his favourite," the Italian reporter told Sky Sports.
"Galatasaray isn't giving up, it's not ruled out they could come back strongly in the coming days."
Meanwhile, Di Marzio also revealed (via @MilanMatters on X) that Villa want to reach a consensus on personal terms with Leao's camp before they initiate contact with Milan over the prospective deal.
With the player on board and Milan supposedly willing to finally cash in on their prized asset, it looks increasingly likely that the Villans will get this deal over the line.
Emery's outfit take on Arsenal on Monday night at Villa Park, in what could be a disastrous outing for the Spaniard's team if they play like they did against Brighton. However, if talks for Leao accelerate over the coming days, there's no reason why they couldn't wrap this deal up quickly and have the player available to feature against the reigning champions.
Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT about the Portugal international last year, Nani said:
"I see him [Leao] in a simple way.
He's a very strong player. He has the ability to keep the ball in his feet. His dribbling is magnificent. He's a world-class player. He's strong.
Everyone wants to be a champion, to be one of the best in the world.
"Sometimes people say he doesn't have the right mentality and attitude. If he changes that, I think he can compete for the Ballon d'Or next year."
A move for Leao would be a substantial boost for a team currently lacking offensive firepower due to Rogers' exit and with Watkins also set to go.