Feature: The return of the Prince: Boateng in Milan

In the January transfer market, teams are given the chance to rectify any faults in their side, with the aim of improving their overall performance for the rest of the season. It is highly unlikely to see big names changing teams at the start of the New Year. It is, however, very probable to witness some small corrections that can turn out to be decisive for the near future.

This is the case for AC Milan. The Rossoneri are having a troubled season, a sad ongoing trend in past years. The win in the Milan Derby over rivals Inter will probably give Sinisa Mihajlovic's team a confidence boost for their next games, but they will have to fight very hard to finish in a European spot.

With limited economical resources, their activity in the January transfer market was almost non-existent. However, they managed to bring back Ghanaian Kevin-Prince Boateng for free from Schalke 04, in a move that has gone relatively unnoticed.

The Black Stars attacker is an old acquaintance of AC Milan, as he was with the Rossoneri from 2010 to 2013, where he also won a Scudetto in his first season with the club.

Boateng revealed how he had been close to quitting the game after being suspended by the Bundesliga club for disciplinary reasons last year. 'It was the toughest time of my career,' he said, 'and the feeling of being back here is incredible.'

AC Milan can benefit from Boateng's determination to prove he still is a decisive player, who is capable of scoring mesmerizing goals, like the one against Barcelona in the 2012-13 group stage of the Champions League.

Since his return to Milan, he has netted one goal in four substitute appearances. The goal came against high-flying Fiorentina, proving that Boateng can still perform against the big boys.

The Rossoneri are looking at three relatively easy games against Palermo, Udinese and Genoa , before the big game against Napoli at the end of February. You can bet on these games with Premier Bet .

The chances are that Boateng will feature in at least two of these three games and, if he can manage to prove his worth to his manager, his teammates and his fans, he will certainly be a threat to Napoli and for every other Serie A team for the rest of the season.

Can he then return to the Black Stars team and help his country? Time will tell.

By Jonathan Shkurko