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Mattia Caldara sounded upbeat about joining AC Milan earlier today before his medical.
He was pictured being greeted by fans and media alike as he arrived.
Caldara arriving for his Milan medical earlier today pic.twitter.com/3qq9uTu6Dt
— Milan Eye (@MilanEye) August 2, 2018
Speaking with the press after arriving at the airport, Caldara said,
I’m happy to be here. I’ve already spoken to Gattuso and with some of my ex-teammates at Atalanta.
The number of my shirt? I still need to think about it
Pairing up with Romagnoli will be exciting.
#Juventus defender Mattia Caldara has completed his #ACMilan medical, so can now sign in a swap deal with Leonardo Bonucci. https://t.co/lOXsgdsK72 pic.twitter.com/UVUVUM176A
— footballitalia (@footballitalia) August 2, 2018
Caldara has passed his medical, meaning that an official announcement is due extremely soon.
Somehow, someway, Leonardo, Milan’s new general manager, has turned a disgruntled Leonardo Bonucci into a 24 year-old rising defensive star of the Italy national team. There were questions about the Milan legend that had taken up the reigns at cross-town rivals Inter Milan, but any concerns anyone had about his “loyalty” seem to have vanished. Leonardo’s done a great job so far at Milan, and a signing of a player like Caldara, while not as flashy as signing Gonzalo Higuain, will be the type of signing that will set Milan up for years.
Milan fans can now look forward to a pairing of two of the brightest central defending prospects for the Italian national team. It’s not unreasonable to think that Caldara, along with Alessio Romagnoli, could form the core of both Milan’s backline and that of the Azzurri for years to come.
This is the kind of deal that good teams make to stay on top. Let’s hope that this isn’t an isolated deal, but a sign of what is to be coming in the next few years with Elliott Management & Leonardo in charge of the club.