Yepes delighted with Milan signings

AC Milan defender Mario Yepes has praised his team’s signings Giampaolo Pazzini and Cristian Zapata.

The Colombian defender believes Pazzini and Zapata can fill the holes left by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, who both left the Italian giants in a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain.

“Pazzini is an out-and-out striker that may be what we’ve been missing, so let’s hope that he can settle in well and do those things that he was doing at Sampdoria, and that he did for Inter as well,” Yepes said.

“I think he’ll be looking for a bit of revenge and maybe Milan can give him that chance.”

Yepes was also complimentary of his new defensive partner Zapata, saying his Serie A experience could prove crucial.

“Zapata knows the Italian league well. He knows the environment and he knows what the situation is here at Milan,” Yepes said.

“He’s a very physical player, very fast and, if we’re lucky, he’ll be able to do the things here that he did at Udinese.”

Yepes said Sampdoria would be a difficult test for his side as they start their Serie A campaign on Sunday, but he is confident of making a winning start.

“We’ll be looking for the three points,” he said. “Sampdoria are a team that have tried to get some reinforcements and have bounced straight back into Serie A (after being relegated in 2011),” he said.

“They have a history behind them and we will respect them as we will any team in the league.”