AC Milan seal Higuain signing and Bonucci-Caldara swap with Juventus

AC Milan have announced the signings of striker Gonzalo Higuain and defender Mattia Caldara from Juventus, with Leonardo Bonucci going the other way to rejoin the Serie A champions.

Higuain’s move, on an initial one-year loan worth €18million with an obligation for Milan to buy for a further €36m, comes just two years on from the Argentina striker’s €90m switch to Juve from Napoli, which was a club record until Cristiano Ronaldo’s €112m switch from Real Madrid this year.

It is believed Ronaldo’s arrival prompted the Serie A champions to put Higuain up for sale as part of a revamp of the squad under Massimiliano Allegri.

The 30-year-old scored 55 goals in 105 appearances in all competitions for Juve, winning two Serie A and Coppa Italia doubles and reaching the Champions League final in 2016-17.

Bonucci caused a sensation when he swapped Juve for Milan a year ago amid reports of a rift with Allegri.

Welcome back, @bonucci_leo19!

https://t.co/WACPsAUXva #WelcomeToJU pic.twitter.com/ztE6O22cQY

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) August 2, 2018

The player’s denials of an issue with his then-former boss now appear sincere after their reunion was sealed, with the highly rated Caldara – who only officially linked up with the Bianconeri earlier this month following a switch from Atalanta – taking Bonucci’s place at San Siro.

Both men have signed contracts running until June 2023 as part of a straight swap deal valued at €35m.

Bonucci will look to make his second Juventus debut at Chievo in the Serie A opener on August 18, while Higuain, Caldara and their new Milan team-mates host Genoa the following day.