Good signing by AC Milan who have finally landed midfielder Keisuke Honda from CSKA Moscow. Milan tried unsuccessfully to get the Japanese midfielder in the summer, but were unable to agree on a transfer fee. He will join Milan on January 1 on a free transfer and has been given the No. 10 shirt.
“From the 3 January 2014 Keisuke Honda will be a Milan player,” Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said on the club’s official website.
“We had already set out a contract but put it to one side. Now we can talk, but it will be difficult as he is a non-EU player, and I don’t know if he can already play from the 6th of January against Atalanta. Later he will make his debut away to Sassuolo.”
The 27-year-old becomes the Rossoneri’s first signing of what is expected to be a busy winter transfer window as they seek to improve on a disappointing start to the season that has seen them fall 22 points behind Serie A leaders Juventus. Honda will be not eligible for the Champions League knockout stages after playing for CSKA Moscow in the competition this season.
It will be interesting to see where Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri plays Honda. I would expect him to play behind Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli in the role that Valter Birsa has. Honda will certainly bring some more firepower to the Rossoneri, now Galliani has to do something about Milan’s leaky defense.
