AC Milan have confirmed the signing of centre-back Mario Gila from Lazio in a deal worth around €30m, made up of a €25m fee plus €5m in add-ons. The 25-year-old Spaniard has signed a five-year contract running until June 2031 and will wear the number 34 shirt at San Siro. Half of the fee is due to Real Madrid, who included a 50 per cent sell-on clause when they let Gila leave for Lazio for around €6m back in the summer of 2022.
The move is Milan's second signing of the summer under new head coach Ruben Amorim, following the arrival of forward Gonçalo Ramos. Amorim wanted a defender with proven experience in Serie A and a calm, composed style on the ball, and Gila fits that profile after four seasons in Italy's top flight. Milan's recruitment team see him as a player who can bring stability to a defence that needs it after a mixed campaign, while also comfortably playing the ball out from the back, which suits how Amorim likes his teams to build attacks.
For Lazio, this is a significant loss. Gila made 120 appearances for the club across four seasons, establishing himself as one of their most reliable defenders and helping them reach last season's Coppa Italia final. Over the last two Serie A campaigns he won more tackles than any other Lazio player (68), the second-most duels (289) and the third-most interceptions (53) at the club. Losing that level of defensive output, plus his experience and leadership at the back, leaves a real gap for Lazio to fill this summer.
Gila's recent form shows why Milan were keen. In the 2025-26 Serie A season he started all 31 of his league appearances, playing over 2,480 minutes, and posted an average match rating of 6.98. His side kept 13 clean sheets in those games while conceding 27 goals, and he picked up four yellow cards and one red across the campaign — the profile of a defender who plays regularly and is trusted by his manager, rather than a squad rotation option.
At Milan, Gila is expected to slot straight into the heart of the defence as Amorim looks to build his back line around composed, experienced centre-backs. His comfort in possession and record for winning duels and making interceptions should help Milan defend from the front as well as in their own box, and his age and contract length suggest the club see him as a long-term fixture rather than a short-term fix.
Gila's departure from Lazio was an emotional one, with the club and supporters giving him a send-off after four years in Rome before he travelled to Milan to complete his medical and finalise the move. For Real Madrid, the deal also brings a tidy return: roughly €15m from a player they sold for a fraction of that fee just three years ago.