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The AC Milan Women currently have a few glaring holes in their roster and are looking to plug them rather quickly.
One of the ways they’ll do so is by bringing in players from abroad. According to Milan News 24, the Rossonere are on the cusp of signing Celeste Boureille. As per the Portland Timbers site, Boureille is a smart player, capable of filling many roles through the midfield and defense. Their main position, however, is that of a defensive midfielder.
The player once lead the league in clearances and was second in tackles won for the 2017-2018 season while playing for their previous team, the Portland Thorns. Boureille started twelve matches for the team last year and helped them win the NWSL Shield. The midfielder is also no stranger to Europe, as they had previously completed a loan spell at FC Fleury 91 for the 2020-2021 season (FBRef). They also scored one goal for the French side.
Boureille is also a Bay Area native, who was born in San Francisco and who played college ball at UC Berkeley. With this in mind, they will become the first-ever American to play for the Milan Women.
The player has already given their salutations to the Thorns and their fans before they embark on their new journey.
My time as a Thorn has been an amazingly rewarding experience and I have loved every second of it. Thank you to the entire Portland organization for giving me this unforgettable opportunity since day one as a Pro. With that being said, it's time to explore a new part of the world pic.twitter.com/KDOOThd0h8
— Celeste Boureille (@CelBee) January 24, 2022
Boureille will join Milan on a dry loan and is expected to be unveiled by the team within the upcoming days. They will also be the second, former Thorn to join the team, as Verónica Boquete had previously played for Portland back in 2014. Boureille might even be on the bench for the Rossonere’s upcoming Coppa Italia clash against Sampdoria this weekend.
The match will take place this Sunday and kickoff time will be at 12:30 CET. And if we’re lucky, then we’ll get to see Celeste trade the red and black of Portland for the Rossoneri of Milan.