Fenerbahce rule out Leao signing after meeting as United's Champions League spot offers edge

Fenerbahce will not sign Rafael Leao this summer after presidential candidate Hakan Safi held a brief meeting with the AC Milan forward and quickly concluded he was not the right target. Safi confirmed the decision at a press conference, saying: “I met Leao a few days ago, but after 10 minutes of chatting, I realised he won’t be our hitman. How did I realise that? Because we asked, we looked into it.”

The ruling comes days after Leao publicly declared his intention to leave Milan at the end of the season. Speaking on Saturday, the 26-year-old Portugal international said: “I think I gave Milan everything I could give. It is a club that helped me grow a lot and supported me through difficult moments. I am happy to have left my mark on the club’s history. Everyone has their dreams, their challenges, the things they want, the goals they want to achieve. And I also want to take on a new challenge in a new league.”

Leao has spent seven years at San Siro, contributing 80 goals and 65 assists across 291 appearances. Last season he scored 10 goals in 31 matches, a return that has nonetheless attracted significant interest from across Europe.

Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring the situation, alongside Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle United. Galatasaray, like Fenerbahce, had also been linked with a move to Turkey, though Safi’s comments effectively close that door for the Istanbul side.

United’s position in the race may be strengthened by their return to the Champions League next season, a competition Leao has specifically cited as a priority. Manager Michael Carrick secured a third-place Premier League finish, with the club winning five of their final six league matches to clinch European qualification.

Carrick, appointed as permanent head coach last month, is expected to add several players to cope with the expanded schedule that Champions League football brings. Whether Leao becomes one of those additions will depend on negotiations with AC Milan, who have not yet publicly set an asking price.