Boateng leaves Portsmouth for Italy in bizarre double transfer
Published:Kevin-Prince Boateng has left Portsmouth to join Genoa in a £5m deal, though the Ghanaian international will spend next season on loan with AC Milan.
In a somewhat baffling transfer, Milan also have a deal in place to make the move permanent at the end of the loan.
Having been ravaged by financial problems in recent years, Portsmouth will be thankful for the £5m fee as they try to consolidate their position in the Championship this season.
Pompey are 8/1 to make an immediate return to the Premier League this term, but having spent the end of their last campaign in administration, the south coast club are unlikely to recklessly chase promotion.
Their threadbare senior squad was given a boost last week with the loan signing of Stoke defender Carl Wilkinson, though their resources could be stretched over the coming months.
With the unusual arrangement of Boateng’s transfer, Genoa president Enrico Preziosi explained why he does not expect Boateng to play for his club.
“Milan have an unusual situation, as they have many players in the last year of their contracts and are keeping an eye on the balance sheet,” said Preziosi.
“Instead we had more of an opportunity to move for Boateng. For now he is joining the Rossoneri on loan.
“Will he return to Genoa? He could do, but in a way I hope he doesn’t. If Milan buy him outright, then it will mean we both saw this is a great player and Genoa will have made a healthy profit.”
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