LONDON, Aug 26 — Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik has joined Juventus on a one-year loan from Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille, the Serie A club said today.

Juventus said the deal included an option to buy for €7 million (RM31 million), payable in three years, with further performance-related add-ons worth €2 million.

The club paid a loan fee worth up to €2 million to sign the striker from the French club.

"(Milik) is a striker, who, in addition to having extraordinary physical strength, is skilled in aerial play and is above all very dangerous in the penalty area,” Juventus said.

"Milik is a centre-forward with a real sense of goal.” Juventus were looking to strengthen their frontline with the addition of Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, Italian media had said, but they have ended their pursuit of the Netherlands international due to Barca’s financial demands.

Milik returns to the Italian Serie A where during his 4-1/2-year spell at Napoli he made more than 120 appearances in all competitions and scored nearly 60 goals.

He joined Marseille in January 2021 on an 18-month loan with an obligation to buy, a clause which was executed in the close season. By that time, he found the back of the net 30 times for the French side.

The 28-year-old has earned 62 international caps and scored for Poland 16 goals.

At Juve, Milik joins fellow Poland international, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who made the permanent switch to Serie A from English Premier League side Arsenal in 2017, following a loan spell at Roma. — Reuters