Alberto Aquilani says he’s delighted to be at Milan after being rejected by Juventus” data-scaytid=”2″>Juventus and refusing a move to Fiorentina” data-scaytid=”3″>Fiorentina.
The Italian international joined the Rossoneri in the summer from Liverpool following a loan stint at Juve last term.
Alberto Aquilani says he’s delighted to be at Milan after being rejected by Juventus and refusing a move to Fiorentina.
The Italian international joined the Rossoneri in the summer from Liverpool following a loan stint at Juve last term.
Although he had a decent campaign in Turin, the club didn’t take up their €16m option to sign him on a permanent basis.
“I didn’t think that I would be transferred outright,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. “The buy-out fee was too high.
“Juventus offered me an opportunity and I made the most of it. The directors tried to get close to me again towards the end of the window, but then Milan arrived. It couldn’t have gone better.”
Italian champions Milan made a move for the Roman after he rejected a possible switch to Tuscan giants Fiorentina.
“There was no backwards step,” he added. “I spoke to then boss Sinisa Mihajlovic and I told him that I would have only accepted a definite move.
“I was offered on loan with a buy-out of €12m and I said no. That figure was too much and they wouldn’t have kept me.
“Here at Milan the fee is set at €6m and will become mandatory after I play 25 games. It was more of a guarantee for me.
“And then you can’t say no to Milan. I always had the hope that I could become a Rossonero. I thought I could have been the ‘Mr X’ they were talking about.
“Milanello is a footballing paradise because it offers the very best facilities to work in. I’ve played for four great clubs, but there is no comparison with Milan in terms of structure and organisation.”
When questioned on his hopes for the season ahead, Aquilani surprisingly placed the Scudetto above the Champions League.
“I want the title,” he noted. “I was in the youth team at Roma when they won it in 2001 and I went close in 2008 when, for a time on the last day of the season, we were virtual Italian champions.”