Stephan El Shaarawy to AS Roma: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Former AC Milan star Stephan El Shaarawy has joined AS Roma on a permanent basis, as the Giallorossi have redeemed his rights after his successful loan spell in the Italian capital.  

Roma paid €13 million for El Shaarawy, who signed a four-year contract through 2020. El Shaarawy commented on his move in the announcement of the deal:

"

Today is a very special day for me because I am now a Roma player in every way. 

I would like to thank the president, Mr Pallotta, sporting director Walter Sabatini, coach Luciano Spalletti, my teammates and the entire AS Roma staff for the faith they have shown in me from day one – and especially the Giallorossi fans, who welcomed me with warmth and affection.

Together we will achieve big things … Daje Roma!

"

El Shaarawy joined Roma on loan in January after a disappointing spell with AS Monaco, but he quickly rediscovered his fine form with his new club, scoring eight goals and adding two assists during the second half of the campaign, per WhoScored.com.

That was good enough to earn him a spot in Italy's squad for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, and there was little doubt Roma would use their option to keep him. Here's a look at some of his highlights:

The 23-year-old has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency since his breakout campaign in 2012-13, when he scored 16 Serie A goals and announced himself as a major talent.

He was soon forced to take a backseat to Mario Balotelli, as the striker arrived at Milan during the second half of the season. The two didn't match well on the pitch during the following campaign, as El Shaarawy was pushed further wide and had fewer opportunities to drift inside. The injuries started soon after.

Antonio Calanni/Associated Press

A loan move to Monaco didn't pan out either. As reported by Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), the deal contained a clause that would make the move permanent if he appeared in 25 matches, so Monaco refrained from using him too much and froze him out after he had played in 24.

The loan to Roma followed, and few will have expected El Shaarawy to have found so much success with his new club. He finally showed what he can do when healthy, and given his young age, the fee of €13 million seems like an absolute bargain at this stage.

Milan fans won't be happy to see him move to a direct competitor, as they had such high hopes for Il Faraone back when he first established himself as a top talent and stuck with him for all these years. A split seemed inevitable at the start of the 2015-16 season, but few will have expected him to join another Italian club for a small fee in arguably the best form of his life.