Álvaro Arbeloa set to join AC Milan
The defender Álvaro Arbeloa, whose contract with Real Madrid expired in June, is about to sign with AC Milan. The former Liverpool player has reached an agreement after accepting a one-year contract with an option for a second season, according to "La Gazzetta dello Sport".
The Italian club's CEO, Adriano Galliani, contacted the player's agent, Óscar Ribot, by phone yesterday and will make the first signing of his team official in the coming days, the aforementioned media outlet revealed.
Álvaro Arbeloa, 33, has been a request from AC Milan's new coach, Vincenzo Montella, who considers the Spaniard a necessary piece to bring experience and facilitate the growth of Alessio Romagnoli, who, at 21 years old, needs a strong character as his guide.
The defender, who won everything in the seven seasons he played at Real Madrid (2009-2016), will arrive for free and was the most viable solution for a club that is going through a transitional period. This is because a group of Chinese investors is about to acquire 80 percent of the club's shares from Silvio Berlusconi.
In Montella's tactical ideas, Arbeloa will play as a central defender, a role he already occupied during his time at Liverpool, and will have a starting position in the lineup at the beginning of the season, as Colombian Cristian Zapata has just undergone surgery after an ankle problem.
