Zlatan Ibrahimovic joins AC Milan from Barcelona

AC Milan have signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona on a season-long loan with the option of making the deal permanent next summer.

The 28-year-old forward experienced a turbulent year with the Catalan giants as he failed to settle at the Camp Nou despite a return of 21 goals last season.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the former Inter Milan striker passed a medical, but Rossoneri chief Adriano Galliani was unable to register the striker in time for Sunday’s clash with Lecce, which Milan won 4-0.

“The fans were fantastic with me, I felt welcome,” said Ibrahimovic. “I really wanted to play last night (Sunday) but Galliani told me I could not because there was no time for registration.”

The Serie A club have the option of permanently signing the 6ft 5″ forward for a fee of €24 million in the summer of 2011. Milan confirmed the deal in a statement: “We have agreed a deal for a season’s loan and then the right to buy.”

A Barcelona read: “The deal was done thanks to the collaboration of the player and willingness of his agent.”