After a summer of speculation about where he may wind up, Oguchi Onyewu has signed with one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Onyewu has signed with AC Milan, joining the Italian giants on a free transfer. Milan announced the signing on its club website.
A standout for Standard Liege over the past five seasons, Onyewu left the Belgian club after helping lead Liege to a pair of Jupiler League championships. He had been linked with clubs ranging from Fenerbahce to Ajax to Real Madrid, but ultimately landed with AC Milan in a deal finalized on Monday evening.
Onyewu played himself into the frame for several top European clubs after his stellar performance in the Confederations Cup, where he did well against Italy, among several other clubs. The Italy match marked the second time he had played against the Azzurri, the first being in the 2006 World Cup.
Onyewu will become the first U.S. national team player since Alexi Lalas to play in Serie A. Lalas played for Padova in 1994-95.
U.S. national team fans will have plenty of chances to see Onyewu play with AC Milan in person this summer as Milan is playing a series of friendlies in the United States. Milan will play the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 19th at Home Depot Center, Club America in Atlanta on July 22, Chelsea in Baltimore on July 24, then face Inter Milan at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. on July 26. For information tickets, you can go to the World Football Challenge website.
So is this a good move for Onyewu? In a word: Absolutely. Milan is coming off a season where lack of defensive depth was an issue and when you consider Paolo Maldini's retirement and Alessandro Nesta's inability to stay healthy, Onyewu should have every opportunity to grab hold of a starting role with the Rossoneri. That, coupled with the competition in Serie A and the opportunity to play in the Champions League, make Milan a great fit for the 27-year-old American.
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