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Transfer news: David Luiz's arrival forced Alex out of PSG

Alex AC Milan
Image: Alex: Now on the books at AC Milan

Brazilian defender Alex says the arrival of countryman David Luiz forced him to seek a move away from Paris St Germain.

The 32-year-old centre-half spent two-and-a-half years in the French capital, having signed from Chelsea in January 2012.

He helped PSG to two Ligue 1 titles, with his combative approach complementing the ball-playing qualities of Thiago Silva.

It became clear to Alex, though, over the summer that he would struggle for game time if he remained at Parc des Princes, with a switch to AC Milan sought after Luiz followed in his footsteps by completing a big-money transfer from Stamford Bridge.

Alex told Tuttosport: “I wanted to play and when they signed David Luiz I understood there wouldn’t be space for me. At that point, Milan was my best choice.

“My aim was to go to a big club like Milan, who have a history and are known all over the world.

“I also understood that I would have to work more than in the past because in Italy particular attention is paid to tactical and physical aspects.”

Alex added on his new boss at the San Siro, Filippo Inzaghi: “Despite being young, he has an incredible will to win.

“He never gives up, he thinks about football 24 hours a day. He also shows us lots of videos, we are frequently facing a screen to see and understand.”

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