The central midfielder won four Serie A titles and two UEFA Champions League crowns during his illustrious career at San Siro and former team-mate Gattuso hailed the 36-year-old's influence at the club.

"Ambro will always be part of Milan's history. He was a great team-mate and a great captain," Gattuso, recently appointed as Palermo's coach, told Sky Sport.

"He was also a great athlete and, without all of his injuries, he had he could have done a lot more.

"I was a little sad for Ambro when I heard about his departure, but Milan's politics these days is centered around building a young team and you have to respect that."

Ambrosini's availability on a free transfer is likely to attract a lot of interest from across Europe and he has already been linked with several clubs.

His agent said on Wednesday that a move to Fiorentina was on the cards, while Premier League outfit West Ham are also reported to be keen on securing the Italian's services.