The rising star of Italian football, Alberto Gilardino, was due to undergo routine medical tests in Milanello on Tuesday before joining his new teammates at AC Milan.
”This is a dream come true,” the striker told reporters after signing a five-year contract with the Italian giants.
Milan reportedly paid Parma €25-million to secure the services of the 23-year-old player, by many regarded as Italy’s brightest star in the way of strikers.
Gilardino scored a jaw-dropping 46 goals during his past two seasons at Parma, helping the cash-strapped club avoid relegation almost single-handedly.
At Milan, he will be expected to start alongside Ukrainian star Andriy Shevchenko following the departures of Denmark’s Jon Dahl Tomasson and Argentina’s Hernan Crespo.
Experts say Gilardino and Shevchenko will form a formidable attacking partnership that will significantly boost Milan’s chances of winning the Champions League after the club lost last year’s final at the end of a penalty shoot-out to Liverpool.
”I chose Milan because everything about it fascinates me. It’s the strongest club in Europe, with great players and a fantastic stage from which to show off one’s talent,” Gilardino said.
Gilardino will wear the number-11 shirt and will earn a reported €3-million per season. — Sapa-DPA