Video: De Winter on ‘dream’ Milan move and Allegri gratitude | OneFootball

Koni De Winter admits moving to Milan ‘doesn’t seem real, it’s like a dream’ and he is happy to be reunited with Max Allegri, who gave him his big Juventus break.

The defender had been linked with Inter, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth so far this summer, but completed his transfer to the Rossoneri this afternoon.

The cost of the operation is believed to be around €18m plus a further €2m in performance-related add-ons, with 20-25 per cent of that figure going to his previous club Juventus.

“I cannot describe my emotions, it doesn’t seem real. It’s really like a dream,” De Winter told the official Milan YouTube Channel.

“I want to do well and gain more experience. Not everyone gets to wear this jersey, so I want to enjoy every moment of it.”

Koni De Winter signs his Milan contract (@acmilan)

Curiously, his two last coaches at Genoa are both former Milan players, Alberto Gilardino and Patrick Vieira.

“I know lot of guys, Messias was here too. We talked about Milan, they all told me the same thing, which is you’re going to a big club with great people, you’ll be fine.”

De Winter is also reunited with former Juventus coach Allegri, who had first given him the step up from the youth squad to the senior team.

“It was the coach who gave me my professional debut, so he’ll always be a big figure for me. I have many memories of him, those were my first tastes of senior football and I am happy to be working with him again.”

The Belgium international celebrated his 23rd birthday in June and sees this as a major step in his playing career.

“This is a massive club, it needs no introductions. I remember watching Ronaldinho, Pato and Maldini, there are many players from the Netherlands, which is close to Belgium, so I grew up watching Milan.”

Koni De Winter joins AC Milan from Genoa (@acmilan)

De Winter is the replacement for Malick Thiaw, who was sold to Newcastle United for €40m, so what does he bring to Milan?

“As a centre-back, I need to feel secure, and I want to become a stalwart of this defence,” he explained.

“I expect a good season, as Milan deserve to be at the top. That’s what we need to do.”

Luka Modric is another new arrival this summer and it is inevitably an exciting experience for a young player to be his teammate.

“It’s great to play with guys like Modric, who have won everything, both on an individual and team level. I expect to learn a lot from everyone.

“Rafael Leao above all is so strong, what impressed me is that he’s very fast for someone who is actually pretty big. I want to find out more about them all.”

GENOA, ITALY – OCTOBER 7: Koni De Winter of Genoa (left) and Rafael Leao of Milan vie for the ball during the Serie A TIM match between Genoa CFC and AC Milan at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on October 7, 2023 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)

De Winter has already experienced San Siro as an opponent against both Milan and Inter, but now gets to enjoy it with the fans cheering his name instead.

“The first time I went, I was so impressed by how big it is and the noise the fans make. I remember them singing even during the warm-up.

“It’s the most beautiful stadium I’ve ever seen and I think it’ll be even better to play there wearing the Milan jersey.”

Did he think growing up that he could reach this moment in his career of playing for AC Milan?

“I was just thinking earlier, I never even imagined that one day I could play for a club like this in a stadium like this, but life is strange.”