Genoa have announced on Friday that Serie A champions AC Milan have paid €10 million to secure part ownership of Italian starlet Stephan El Shaarawy.  

"Their bid surprised me, I really didn’t expect it at all," Genoa President Enrico Preziosi told Il Corriere Mercantile.

"The value of his other half can increase as well if he does well. Overall, it is a deal worth €25m and I just could not say no."

As part of the deal, Genoa will acquire 50 percent ownership of Milan midfielder Alexander Merkel, 19, who played with the Rossoneri’s senior team last season.

El Shaarawy made only three appearances with Genoa and was loaned to Serie B outfit Padova, where he made a fine impact, helping them reach the Serie A/B playoffs with a string of superb displays.

Earlier this month, the 18-year-old, whose father is Egyptian, said he was ready to snub Inter Milan and Juventus to join Milan, who have clinched their first Serie A title since 2004.

“Inter and Juventus are two great teams, but I dream of playing for Milan,” El Shaarawy told Sky Sport Italia.

“I’ve always been a Milan fan since I was a small boy and it would be an honour to play alongside such champions as Zlatan Ibrahimovic.”

El Shaarawy neither represented Italy nor Egypt on the senior level.