Immediate Leao impact in first Galatasaray appearance after €38m Milan sale | OneFootball

Rafael Leao put in a promising performance in his 22-minute debut for Galatasaray on Friday evening following his €38m transfer away from Milan in the final stages of the summer transfer window.

The former Serie A MVP winner came on for his first Galatasaray appearance in an eventual 3-2 Turkish Super Lig victory over Istanbul Basaksehir on Friday night. This was his first outing of the season and his first after leaving Milan.

Official: Rafael Leao points to the Galatasaray crest on his shirt after joining the club in a permanent transfer from Milan (@Galatasaray via Instagram)

The Portugal international, who previously had a €175m release clause in his contract with Milan, was sold by the Rossoneri for an initial fee of just €38m towards the end of the summer transfer window, following several weeks of speculation regarding the 27-year-old’s future.

His 22-minute cameo against Basaksehir on Friday night showed the Galatasaray supporters a glimpse of what Leao is capable of at his best.

During his run-out, Leao made several of his trademark runs down the left wing, was involved in the build-up to Lucas Toreira’s equaliser just a few moments after coming on, and also drew the foul that led to Umut Bozok being sent off with just over 10 minutes left to play, which ultimately helped to swing the game back in Galatasaray’s favour having been level at 2-2 at the time.

Watch: Leao gets Galatasaray career off to winning start