Why Friday is crunch day in Leeds United's Rafael Leao chase as bid truth revealed
Leeds United's chances of signing Rafael Leao could become a lot clearer on Friday.
The 27-year-old has widely been reported as an ambitious transfer target for Leeds this summer.
Having been with AC Milan since the summer of 2019, the Portuguese international could be ready for a new challenge.
Leao has scored 80 goals in 293 career appearances for Milan, and is contracted with the Serie A giants until June 2028.
Still in the prime of his career, a move to the Premier League this summer would offer Leao the chance to reaffirm himself as a star player on the continent.
Elland Road could provide him with the stage to do that on, but it may largely depend on the outcome of a vital Friday meeting.
Who is Rafael Leao meeting with on Friday amid Milan exit talk?
In a Leeds transfer window that Daniel Farke has focused on quality over quantity, numerous headline signings have been made such as James Trafford.
However, should Leao be posing in a Whites shirt before the 1 September deadline, he would surely be the biggest statement signing of their summer.
With said deadline growing ever larger on the horizon, Leeds will be looking for concrete news on their prospects of signing Leao soon.
Italian outlet Calciomercato claims that Leao and Milan owner Gerry Cardinale are set to hold a crunch transfer meeting on Friday.
Cardinale is also understood to be meeting with other players deemed surplus to requirements, and that a mutual interest in parting ways will be confirmed.
However, the report also claims that the only league that has shown concrete interest in signing Leao is from Turkey.
The report claims that a move there isn't what Leao is looking for though, and that Galatasaray haven't stumped up more than £34.2million.
But what has been said about potential interest from England, and why does it contradict previous reports concerning a Leeds offer?
Why Leeds may not be as close to Leao deal as previously thought
Earlier this month, it was reported that Leeds had offered £42.7m to sign Leao, with the full package closer to £47m.
As a result, it seemed as though interest from LS11 was very much serious, and that action had been taken towards getting an agreement in place.
However, Calciomercatio's aforementioned report on Friday now contradicts that.
They claim that whilst some enquiries have arrived from Saudi Arabia, only very tentative ones have been made from England.
It's claimed that no offers from clubs in these two nations have been tabled.
Their report ends by claiming that the current sense is that next week could be the "perfect time" for Leao to sort out his move away from Milan.
So, Leeds may well get confirmation that Leao wants to leave and Milan are happy to sell on Friday, but could still need to make an official approach.