MILAN – AC Milan signed Argentine striker Maxi Lopez on loan from Catania on Friday, signalling that the club has given up on signing Carlos Tevez — at least until the end of the season.
Milan said in a statement that it has the option to gain Lopez’s full rights at the end of the season, and that the forward has signed a contract through 2015.
Milan had been hoping to sign Tevez from Manchester City.
Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani had several meetings with Tevez in the past month and had reportedly reached an agreement with Tevez, but a deal couldn’t be reached with City.
Tevez has not played for City since he refused to warm up during a Champions League game against Bayern Munich in September.
Galliani said he came close to signing Tevez earlier Friday evening.
“We were very close with City. If at 6:30 someone had asked me who was going to come to Milan, I would have responded ‘Tevez,'” Galliani told Milan’s TV station. “Anyhow we left things very nicely with City and we’ve gotten over the misunderstandings.”
