MILAN (AP) - AC Milan CEO Marco Fassone hinted the club has finished its summer spending spree after signing its 11th player in this transfer window: Nikola Kalinic.
Milan signed Kalinic from Fiorentina on a one-year loan deal with the obligation to buy, with the Croatia forward penning a four-year contract on Tuesday to June 30, 2021.
“With Nikola we’ve completed the team,” Fassone said.
Milan, which was bought by a Chinese-led consortium in April, has spent more than 200 million euros ($234 million) in the offseason, signing players such as Leonardo Bonucci, Andre Silva, Ricardo Rodriguez, Franck Kessie, Andrea Conti, Hakan Calhanoglu, Lucas Biglia and Mateo Musacchio.
“(Kalinic) is the player we wanted to complete the squad because he has experience and quality,” Fassono said. “We always said we wanted to have a mix of young and talented players and experienced ones, to build a spine of experienced players.
“We got Bonucci, we got Biglia, we got Nikola, who completes the squad.”
Milan was in talks with Fiorentina for the 29-year-old Kalinic from mid-June, and he missed training last week as he attempted to push through the move.
“I have to say this has been a long and difficult story, more than two months,” Fassone said. “We’re here because he (Kalinic) wanted to become a Rossonero so strongly. He has a boundless and historic love for our shirt and that’s what allowed us to unlock this long negotiation that we had with Fiorentina.”
Kalinic, who also played for Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League, moved to Italy in 2015 and had 33 goals in 83 appearances for Fiorentina.
He said he preferred to do his talking on the pitch.
Kalinic will wear the No. 7 shirt, which was worn by one of Milan’s best-ever forwards, Andriy Shevchenko.
No financial details were disclosed, but reports say Milan will pay Fiorentina 25 million euros ($29 million) for Kalinic.
Milan, which last won the league in 2011, opened its Serie A campaign with a 3-0 win at Crotone. It also beat Shkendija 6-0 in the Europa League last Thursday.
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