Huntelaar swaps Madrid for Milan

AC Milan have completed the signing of Klaas Jan Huntelaar from Real Madrid CF for a reported fee of €15m, just eight months after the Spanish club paid AFC Ajax €27m for the Dutch international striker.

Prolific record
The 25-year-old, who signed a four-year contract with the Rossoneri after completing a medical on Friday, joined Madrid at the beginning of January after scoring 76 goals in 92 Eredivisie matches for the Amsterdam side. He was limited to 13 Liga starts at the Santiago Bernabéu, but still scored eight goals before the end of a campaign in which Madrid finished as runners-up to FC Barcelona.

Second signing
The former PSV Eindhoven, De Graafschap, AGOVV Apeldoorn and SC Heerenveen player is Milan's first significant purchase of the summer following the free transfer arrival of United States defender Oguchi Onyewu from R. Standard de Liège. The UEFA Champions League contenders, who sold Kaká to Madrid in June for €68m, will hope Huntelaar follows in the footsteps of countryman Marco van Basten after his prolific spell with the club in the late 1980s and early 90s.

'Special place'
"Milan is a special place for a Dutch player," Huntelaar said. "I know Van Basten very well as I worked with him at Ajax and with the national team. I hope to have a great season. There are a lot of players who have been playing here for many years, so it feels like a big family. I like to play for the team and score and I hope to help the side to win with my goals."