Nigerian defender Taye Taiwo lavished praise on AC Milan, saying their calibre matches that of English heavyweights Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Italian Serie A winners said last week that they will sign Taiwo, whose contract with French side Marseille runs out at the end of the season, on a free transfer.

“I have decided to sign for Milan because they are an excellent team who play great football,” Taiwo, a free-kick specialist with vicious left-foot shots, was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“In my opinion, they are at the same level as clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea. I am not saying that the other teams that were after my signature are not good teams, though.

“It is just that ever since making my international debut for Nigeria, I have dreamt of playing for an absolute top club,” he added.

The 26-year-old left-back, who spent six years at Marseille and helped them win last season’s French Ligue1 title, is looking forward to playing with  Milan’s stars.

"Milan have superb players like [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Clarence] Seedorf and [Alexandre] Pato,” he concluded.