Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has insisted that his spell at AC Milan was ‘not useless’ despite the fact it only lasted for one year.
After just a few days of negotiating, it was confirmed back in July 2017 that Milan had managed to strike a deal for one of Juventus’ best players in Bonucci. The Rossoneri paid a fee widely reported to be €40m plus €2m in bonuses to Juventus, while Bonucci signed a five-year contract.
Sky Italia reported at the time that Bonucci would earn €6.5m per year, while other sources claim he will earn even more than that, possibly making him the best-paid player in Serie A at that moment.
He arrived after falling out with Max Allegri towards the end of the 2016-17 season, but he returned to Juve after just a year, with Mattia Caldara coming the other way in a swap deal in summer 2018.
“It was a difficult season for me, both personally and professionally,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia).
“There were some disagreements and, especially after the defeat in the Champions League, I ultimately made a poor decision.
“But I have to say that the decision, which certainly influenced my career, improved me as a man.
“Those months at Milan let me do some soul-searching and made me realise that my calling was at Juventus, who are like my family.
“I met some beautiful people at Milan, first of all Rino Gattuso. It was a difficult year, but that’s not to say it was useless. At the end of it, I was very happy to go back home.”