Milan
have confirmed the signing of
German defender Malick Thiaw from Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke 04, the club
confirmed earlier via an official statement.
The 21-year-old center-back arrives on a five-year contract until 30 June 2027.
Time to welcome Thiaw 😉👋 #ReadyToLeaveAMark #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/RdbkrFAtcB
— AC Milan (@acmilan) August 29, 2022
Thiaw
made his senior professional debut in March 2020, having come through the
academy ranks of Fortuna Dusseldorf, Bayer Leverkusen, and Borussia
Monchengladbach, before settling in with Schalke for the past seven years. The
class of 2001 appeared 61 times for Die Knappen between 2020 and
2022, helping the club secure the 2. Bundesliga title last season with spirited
performances.
The
deal arrives as a surprise, especially for Milan fans, who certainly had not
anticipated Thiaw as a concrete summer target following a window that had now
Newcastle United defender Sven Botman as their primary objective.
The
youngster has eight caps for the Germany U21 team, playing a vital part in
helping them qualify for the UEFA European U21 Championship – a tournament the
youth team ended up winning. However, he was not chosen to appear for the
national team throughout the tournament.