Huntelaar completes Milan switch

by Fabregas04 Fri Aug 07, 2009 2:29 pm

AC Milan have signed Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee.

Huntelaar, who turns 26 next week, had been a target for Tottenham but instead is Milan's first major close-season investment, signing a four-year deal.

He scored eight goals for Real having joined in January after three years at Ajax, where he hit 76 in 92 matches.

Huntelaar was surplus to requirements after the arrival of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka at Real.

He is the latest in a long list of Holland players to join the Rossoneri, following in the footsteps of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard.

"Milan the club and city are a special place for us Dutch," he said. "I know Van Basten very well, he was my coach at Ajax as well as in the national side.

"I'm really happy to be here, I know the football and the training in Italy are different to Spain, but I'm ready. Milan should have a great season."

After Real agreed a fee with Milan on Thursday, Huntelaar had a medical at the Serie A club on Friday and penned a contract tying him to the Rossoneri until June 2013.

Earlier this summer Real had agreed a reported £18m fee with Stuttgart but Huntelaar rejected the move and the deal collapsed.

He made only 13 first-team appearances for the Spanish giants, who paid Ajax £20m for his services when Ramon Calderon was president.

His involvement in the second stage of the Champions League was hampered by a miscalculation from Madrid, who were unaware that clubs could only field one new player who had played in European competition earlier in the season.

Former Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra, the team's other transfer window signing, was picked instead.