AC Milan have confirmed the signing of Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus for a reported transfer fee of €42-million.

The 30-year-old has now put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Rossoneri, which keeps him at the club until 30 June 2022.

AC Milan head coach Vincenzo Montella believes Leonardo Bonucci stands alongside Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos as the best central defender in the world.

A busy close-season in the transfer market is set to continue, with Milan linked to Torino striker Andrea Belotti, but none of their 10 signings to date match Bonucci in terms of making a major statement.

‘He is a player with international experience,’ Montella told Milan’s official website.

‘Technically, I think that he and Sergio Ramos are the strongest central defenders in the world. Coaching him is a dream come true.’

Bonucci will lead a revamped defensive line-up alongside Andrea Conti, Mateo Musacchio and Ricardo Rodriguez.

He arrives at San Siro on the back of six consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus, who also lifted the Coppa Italia to underscore their domestic dominance over each of the past three seasons.

Milan lost 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund in Guangzhou on Tuesday as part of the International Champions Cup and they face Bayern Munich in Shenzhen this weekend.

– This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za

Photo: AC Milan website