AC MILAN have signed Brazil defender Emerson Royal from Tottenham Hotspur, the Serie A club announced on Monday.

In a statement, Milan said that Emerson “has signed a contract with the Rossoneri until 30 June 2028 with an option for a one-year extension”.

The 25-year-old, who has 10 caps for his country, has signed for a reported initial fee of €15 million with a further two million in add-ons.

AC Milan will begin their new league campaign with the visit of Torino on Saturday night.

Elsewhere, Lautaro Martinez committed his future to Inter Milan on Monday after signing a new contract which keeps him with the Serie A champions until 2029.

“FC Internazionale Milano can confirm that an agreement has been reached to extend Lautaro Martinez’s contract. The 1997-born forward has put pen to paper on a deal lasting until 30 June 2029,” said Inter, in a statement.

Argentina striker Lautaro will reportedly earn a net salary of €9 million per season after renewing a deal that was set to expire in two years.

Inter president Giuseppe Marotta said last month that Lautaro had already agreed to sign his new contract but that the club would wait until he returned from post-Copa America holidays to announce it.

Lautaro was key to Argentina retaining the Copa America, netting five times including the only goal in the final triumph over Colombia.

International glory for the 26-year-old came after he helped power Inter to their second Serie A title in four seasons, finishing their triumphant campaign a whopping 19 points ahead of local rivals AC Milan.

The Inter skipper topped the scoring charts with 24 goals in 33 league appearances, eight strikes ahead of his nearest rival Dusan Vlahovic.

Lautaro confirming his intention to stay at Inter is a huge boost for a club that headed into the close season in an uncertain mood after a sudden change in ownership.

Investment fund Oaktree took control of Inter just days after they won their 20th league crown when previous owners Suning defaulted on repayment of a loan which matured at €395 million.

However, Oaktree have opted for continuity rather than revolution since ousting ex-president Steven Zhang and Chinese conglomerate Suning, under whom Inter won seven trophies, including two Serie A titles, and reached two European finals.

Coach Simone Inzaghi extended his contract with Inter to 2026 this month, while star midfielder Nicolo Barella signed a new deal until 2029 ahead of Euro 2024.

Inter begin their league title defence at Genoa on Saturday.

Meanwhile, German international Maximilian Beier on Monday signed a five-year deal with Borussia Dortmund after passing a medical with the Bundesliga club on a deal reported to be worth €30 million.

The 21-year-old striker arrives from Hoffenheim where he played for the past six years after coming through the Energie Cottbus youth system.

“I’m really excited to take this next major step in my career,” said Beier, who scored 16 goals in 33 games in his first full Bundesliga season.

He also received his first senior international call-up in March, and was part of Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad for the European Championship.

Club sporting director Sebastian Kehl said Beier was the club’s “top target” after Niclas Fuellkrug’s departure for English Premier League club West Ham.

“He’s very self-assured on the pitch despite his young age, and he has impressive pace, he never stops running and he poses a real goal threat,” said Kehl.

“On top of that, he has the versatility to play in several positions and in various systems. There’s scope for him to develop further, and we’ll help him become an even better player.

“He’s a down-to-earth person who’s willing to learn, and his hard work and commitment make him the perfect fit for BVB.”

– © AFP 2024