Bonera: “Castillejo an excellent player, he likes to play on the right, Higuain can have the same impact Zlatan had”

Daniele Bonera believes Samu Castillejo is a great buy for Milan and is happy to welcome back Carlos Bacca at Villarreal.

The deal is not yet complete but unless big surprises happen, Samu Castillejo will join Milan by Friday at 20:00 CEST, when the transfer window closes in Italy.

The 23-year-old will bring technical quality and a lot of pace to a Milan attack that is lacking in this parameter. His teammate, Daniel Bonera, who played at Milan from 2006 to 2015, believes Samu’s transfer is the right move for both sides.

“What kind of player is Castillejo? He’s a technical player who likes to play on the right side and cut back to the left,” the 37-year-old center back told today’s edition of Tuttosport. “He loves the 1v1 and he can create numerical superiority in the offensive phase. For me, it’s a great signing.

“If his arrival can be a stimulus for Suso? He arrives in a great team after three important years at Villarreal. I think it’s more of a stimulus for himself. He needs to make this leap into a great team. If he can be a valid alternative also for Çalhanoğlu? I think he prefers to play on the opposite side.

“Gattuso will be able to use him where he deems it the most appropriate. Can Castillejo take the place of Suso or Hakan? It will be the field to say if he deserves to play or not. Of course, I can say that he’s an excellent player who arrives in a context in which he can show how much he is worth.

“If I’m happy to have Bacca back as a teammate? Carlos did very well here, he made himself available to the group. He has great experience and temperament. Numerically, he scored big goals and we wait him with open arms as he returns to an environment that he knows, he will give us a hand.

“How did I find the returns of Leonardo and Maldini? With great joy and happiness. I had the chance to play with Paolo and be coached by Leo and I’m very happy because, as a Milanista, I’ve seen faces that I’m fond of. Gattuso? Rino has proven to be smart, to know how to bring out the best out of his players and now he will have the chance to reconfirm himself. He likes responsibilities.

“If Higuain can have the same impact as Ibrahimović? It was a brilliant signing. I think Leonardo made a sporting masterpiece. Surely he’s an important name, a player who will bring many goals. For me he can have the same impact that Zlatan had when he arrived in 2010, but only time will tell.

“In attack, now, Milan are back to being scary. The collective will be needed but I think Rino is able to put him in the best conditions to do well.”