Boateng joins AC Milan on loan

ROME (AFP) – Just a few days after signing for Genoa, Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has signed for AC Milan on loan, the seven-time European champions said on Wednesday.

Last week, Boateng moved from Portsmouth to Genoa for a fee of around 6.5 million euros but already with the intention of being loaned to Milan, who will be able to buy the player outright at the end of the season.

Genoa president Enrico Preziosi had previously explained the club’s reasoning and said he did not expect Boateng to actually play for Genoa.

“Genoa were following Boateng before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It was a good shop window for him, but one cannot rely on a World Cup alone,” Preziosi told the Corriere dello Sport.

“Milan have an unusual situation, as they have many players in the last year of their contracts and are keeping an eye on the balance sheet.

“Instead we had more of an opportunity to move for Boateng. For now he is joining the Rossoneri on loan.

“Will he return to Genoa? He could do, but in a way I hope he doesn’t. If Milan buy him outright then it’ll mean we both saw this is a great player and Genoa will have made a healthy profit.”

Boateng had already been training with Milan since his switch from England.

The 23-year-old German-born player, who made his Ghana debut just before the World Cup, started his career at Hertha Berlin.

He then moved to Tottenham but after failing to land a regular first-team spot he went on loan to Borussia Dortmund before joining Portsmouth.

He has a Ghanaian father and German mother, while half-brother Jerome Boateng — who represents Germany — recently joined Manchester City.