Chelsea's Argentine striker Hernan Crespo has joined AC Milan on a season-long loan, the Italian champions said on their web site on Thursday.

Crespo, who returns to Serie A after spells with Inter Milan, Lazio and Parma, has signed a deal until June 30, 2005.

Crespo, 29, will be back under the orders of his former coach at Parma, Carlo Ancelotti, who signed him from River Plate in 1996 and stood by him during a turbulent first season in Italy.

The Argentine, who struggled to settle at Chelsea, faces tough competition for a place up front for Milan, who have Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko, Denmark's Jon Dahl Tomasson and Italy international Filippo Inzaghi.

"I know very well it won't be easy to win a place. I take that into account but I am not going to place limits on myself," Crespo told reporters after arriving in Milan on Wednesday evening.

Hampered by injuries and trips to World Cup qualifiers in South America, Crespo never really established himself at Chelsea last season, despite scoring 10 premier league goals and two more in the team's run to the Champions League semi-finals.

Crespo will link up again with former Lazio team mates Alessandro Nesta, Jaap Stam and Giuseppe Pancaro. He is the latest former Inter Milan player to join their city rivals, following Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo.

The striker said his past with Inter should not cause him problems.

"Those who have come before me, Seedorf and Pirlo and others, have done well and I hope to do just as well," he said.

Due to be unveiled when Milan report back to training later on Thursday, Crespo is the club's third major signing of the close-season after recruiting Dutch defender Stam from Lazio and French midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo from Olympique Lyon.