AC Milan have signed midfielder Stephan El Shaarawy from Genoa and sent German Alexander Merkel in the opposite direction, the Italian champions said in a statement on Saturday.
El Shaarawy, born in Italy and with an Egyptian father, impressed on loan at second-tier Padova last season and his move to Milan is the latest in a string of deals between the Rossoneri and Genoa.
Merkel broke into the Milan first team last season but will now get a chance to be a regular at Genoa.
