ROME: The lesser-known Swede might just make the bigger impact in Serie A.
Dejan Kulusevski completed his transfer from Atalanta to Juventus at the same time Zlatan Ibrahimovic was undergoing tests at AC Milan.
Kulusevski signed a 4½-year contract, becoming the second-most expensive player born this millennium.
Juventus will pay Atalanta 35 million euros ($39.10 million) plus up to 9 million euros ($10 million) in bonuses for the 19-year-old midfielder, not much less than the 45 million euros ($50 million) Real Madrid paid Flamengo for Vincius Junior.
The 38-year-old Ibrahimovic nearly 20 years older than Kulusevski has agreed to rejoin the Rossoneri until the end of the season with the option to extend his contract for another year.
At the time of the last transfer window, Kulusevski had played only 103 minutes of club football in three appearances for Atalanta and was playing at under-19 level for his country. He moved to Parma on loan and has improved quickly, playing a key role in the club’s impressive first half of the season with four goals and seven assists.
His performances earned him a first call-up to the Swedish national team, and he made his international debut in a 3-0 win over the Faeroe Islands in November.
All that saw Juve move swiftly to sign Kulusevski, despite competition from the likes of Manchester United and Inter Milan.
“It’s normal that big clubs are interested in a player who has been expressing himself at a level like Dejan’s,” said Andreas Engelmark, Kulusevski’s first coach with the Brommapojkarna youth team. “He’s a very versatile player … but I think he expresses himself best between the lines, where thanks to his great dribbling skills he can create very dangerous situations.”
Kulusevski will remain on loan at Parma until the end of the season before moving to the Bianconeri. And that would suit Kulusevski just fine.
“I won’t change teams in January because I need to grow here at Parma, then we’ll see,” Kulusevski said last month. “I don’t think much about the future otherwise I would lose my concentration, train badly and play badly. But I know that one day I’ll get right to the top.”
Joining the eight-time defending champions is certainly a step forward, and Kulusevski could even fix Juve’s midfield problems by linking up with the attacking trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain.
“I am very happy, 2020 couldn’t have started any better,” said Kulusevski. “It’s an important day for me, my friends, my family and for everyone who has worked with me. Juventus is one of the biggest clubs in the world. When everyone starts out in football, they all want to play for Juve. When the chance arose to join Juve, I didn’t think twice.”
‘LAST BIT OF ADRENALINE’
Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, warned on Friday he was not back at AC Milan as a mascot but for the “last bit of adrenaline” and to lift a club he loved out of a difficult situation.
The Swedish forward has rejoined the club he left seven years ago for a six-month stint, with an option to extend his stay, but there are questions over how much impact he can have on the fallen giants who are languishing in 11th in Serie A.
In their last match, Milan produced a pitiful display as they were thumped 5-0 at Atalanta, their joint-heaviest Serie A defeat.
Ibrahimovic helped Milan win their last major trophy, the Serie A title in 2010-11, before leaving to join Paris St Germain the following year in a move that he said on Friday was against his will.
He has been a free agent since leaving Los Angeles Galaxy in November.
“I’m not here as a mascot to dance for the fans next to the Devil [Milan mascot],” he told a press conference in Milan. “I’m looking for the last bit of adrenaline I might have. At my age you’re not looking for anything else but a challenge.
“When you’re 38 and get hired by AC Milan it’s something that doesn’t happen very often, coming here means I still have something to give. I am ready, I feel more than alive, I hope to play immediately.”
He said he still had passion for football but had learned to adapt with age.
“Each year is different, physically you change with every year that goes by,” he added. “But experience teaches you to do things differently, if you’re an intelligent player you know what you can and cannot do… instead of running, I can shoot from long distance.”
He promised he would not go easy on his younger team-mates.
“I’m meaner than before,” he said. “They know what I am like, how I train and play each match. You have to work hard. You have to know how to suffer, otherwise you don’t reach your maximum potential. Not everyone likes to suffer but I do… and I expect a lot from my team-mates.”
