Milan loan Zapata from relegated Villarreal
Reuters - Wednesday 08 August 2012, 23:14
AC Milan have signed Colombia's
Cristian Zapata on a season-long loan deal to shore up their
defence after losing Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva, the
Serie A champions said on Wednesday.
Milan have taken the 25-year-old from Spanish club
Villarreal who were relegated from La Liga last season and have
brought in former Sweden defender Olof Mellberg.
Zapata, who can play in central defence or at full-back,
spent six seasons with Udinese before joining Villarreal, having
started his career in his homeland with Deportivo Cali.
The move is an unexpected bonus for Zapata who told
Colombian media in May that he was uncertain about his future
after a difficult season in La Liga.
Milan have sold Thiago Silva and forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic
to Paris Saint-Germain, raising questions about their level of
ambition for the coming season.
Central defender Nesta also left at the end of last term to
join Montreal Impact after 10 years at the club.
They have, however, signed Italy midfielder Riccardo
Montolivo from Fiorentina.
Villarreal's new signing Mellberg, who has 116 caps but is
not in Sweden's latest squad announced on Tuesday after telling
coach Erik Hamren he was "99 percent certain" he would retire
following Euro 2012, had been at Olympiakos for three seasons.