After enjoying a successful loan spell in the second half of last season at Roma, Stephan El Shaarawy made his move to the Italian capital permanent this week as he joined the Giallorossi in a €13 million deal.
The 23-year-old scored eight goals in 16 Serie A appearances for Roma last season, and was unsurprisingly delighted to secure a permanent move as he looks ahead to being an important part of Luciano Spalletti's plans moving forward.
Despite the fact it was expected for some time that he would eventually leave Milan, it does little to lessen the disappointment surrounding the move.
Injuries and a loss of form between 2013 and 2015 certainly derailed his career at the San Siro, and things didn't get much better for him during his loan at Monaco last year.
However, having seemingly found the right environment and team to allow him to express himself and show just how talented he is, El Shaarawy will hope that he can now remain an integral part of the Roma squad for years to come.
It's a familiar situation for him, given that similarities can be drawn to how he initially began life with Milan. After settling in during his first campaign with the club, his form in the first half of the 2012-13 season will be fondly remembered by many.
The Rossoneri were in a difficult spot having lost several key veterans to retirement, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva followed them out of the exit door for Paris Saint-Germain.
Milan were essentially in disarray, and question marks were raised over how they would be able to maintain their usual high level of success and start a new era.
El Shaarawy quickly emerged as a pivotal member of Massimiliano Allegri's squad, and almost single-handedly dragged them up the table with his goal-scoring exploits as well as his overall attacking threat, work-rate and ability to make something happen.
He would end that season with 19 goals in 46 appearances, his best return in a single campaign in his young career to date. In turn, it was no surprise that he quickly established himself as a firm fan favourite and was seen as a pillar of Milan's future.
Although he lost his spark and momentum in the latter stages of that season, on-going speculation over his future was dismissed with great regularity. Countless statements insisting that El Shaarawy would not be leaving the club at any cost were released, and he signed an extension to suggest that he would be staying for the foreseeable future.
Maybe it was the pressure and the expectations that took their toll, maybe it was the injuries or perhaps even the fact that opposing defenders had learned to limit his threat, but it wasn't the same the following season.
As he spent more time off the pitch, Milan looked elsewhere and eventually opted to send him out on loan last summer to Monaco.
It didn't work out as planned for the Italy international, with the French side freezing him out of the squad as he sat just short of the number of appearances required to activate the obligation to buy him outright.
Milan still seemed intent on offloading him as he didn't fit into former coach Sinisa Mihajlovic's plans, and that brought Roma into the equation, where El Shaarawy has proven over the last six months that he can adapt, develop and deliver on the big stage.
As noted above, certain players ultimately click and flourish in the right surroundings, and looking back, perhaps the fit with Milan just didn't make sense any more.
El Shaarawy's tireless work ethic, pace, technical skill and quality on the ball make him an exciting part of any squad, and it's a real shame to see him close the chapter on his time at Milan.
Nevertheless, it is still hoped that he can continue to shine for both Italy and Roma moving forward, albeit not when he crosses paths with his former club.
Milan have been accused of making many mistakes in the transfer market over the years when it comes to letting talented young players go, and although this feels like one, perhaps the move makes sense for all parties concerned, even if the memories of El Shaarawy's impact in 2012 will never be easily forgotten.