U.S. soccer player Oguchi Onyewu signed a three-year contract with AC Milan on Tuesday. (Javier Galeano/Associated Press)AC Milan bolstered its defence Tuesday by signing American centre back Oguchi Onyewu.
Onyewu, 27, inked a three-year contract, joining the Italian giants on a free transfer from Belgian side Standard Liege.
Onyewu is coming off an impressive performance for the U.S. national team at last month's FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, earning rave reviews for his solid and poised play. The U.S. lost 3-2 to Brazil in the final.
The signing comes amidst fan unrest, as Milan supporters have been upset that team owner Silvio Berlusconi, also Italy's prime minister, had not previously signed any significant summer recruits.
Fans are also outraged over the team's decision to sell star playmaker Kaka to Real Madrid for $94 million US.
Another key part of the deal is the fact Onyewu holds a Belgian passport, which means the former Standard Liege star will not count as one of only two non-EU players that Italian teams are allowed to sign each season.
The addition of Onyewu is expected to help a Milan side that has serious issues in the middle of defence: longtime captain Paolo Maldini retired at the end of last season, and veterans Alessandro Nesta and Kakha Kaladze are injury prone.
Onyewu is the first American to play in Serie A, the Italian first division, since Giuseppe Rossi, a New Jersey-born striker who plays for Italy's national team, appeared in a few games for Parma during the 2007 season.
Before that, Alexi Lalas played for Padova from 1994-96.
