Gianluigi Donnarumma has confirmed he will leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer after a heated contract dispute, and the Italian is good enough to change the upcoming Premier League season
Instead of facing Tottenham in the Super Cup in his homeland tonight, the best shot-stopping goalkeeper in Europe is up for sale.
And the signing of the giant Gianluigi Donnarumma by Chelsea or Manchester City would boost their Premier League title hopes or make Manchester United genuine Champions League candidates. The 6ft 5in stopper, with the wingspan of a 747, will have that size of impact at his next club.
The Italian captain – who announced he will be leaving PSG on Tuesday – first tormented English fans by saving spot kicks from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka in the Euro 2020 final penalty shootout.
And the former Milan keeper, still only 26, caused heartbreak for Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal fans as he inspired Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League trophy.
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But only 73 days after the French club’s triumph over Inter Milan – and only five days after he was the only goalkeeper named in the Ballon D’Or shortlist – Donnarumma’s career at PSG is over in ruthless fashion.
While the Champions League winners flew to Udine to face the Europa Cup winners yesterday, the Italy goalkeeper trained alone at the back at the Campus PSG while the club awaits offers for his signature.
Last season’s all-action hero, popular with his fellow players and fans, will not play for the Qatari-owned club again. At least Marie Antoinette had a trial before she was guillotined in Paris.
Donnarumma is out of contract next summer and year-long negotiations to agree a new deal have now stopped. He signed on a free transfer from Milan in 2021 on a gross salary of €10m (£8.64m). After tax breaks and bonuses, his current net annual salary has been £6.5m.
PSG are now offering players lower basic wages with more performance-related bonuses and Donarumma refused the effective pay cut despite his desire to remain in the City of Light.
There was a similar standoff with Kylian Mbappe two summers ago when he refused to sign a new deal and he was excluded from a summer tour to Asia. He was reintegrated back into the group after giving up millions of Euros in bonuses and then used less after Christmas when it was clear he was still leaving for Real Madrid.
This time PSG have already signed Donnarumma’s replacement. Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year Lucas Chevalier joined this weekend in a €55m deal from Lille, the former club of PSG director of football Luis Campos. And the 23-year-old was bought with the backing of Luis Enrique and guaranteed he will be No.1.
The PSG announcement welcoming the signing of Chevalier claimed he is: “Comfortable on his line, in one-on-one situations, and in the air, he also has excellent distribution skills”.
It was interpreted by the Italian media and Donnarumma’s camp as a dig at the Azzurri keeper’s ability with his feet. Former Milan keeper Christian Abbiati told Gazzetta dello Sport: “There’s something crazy about all this. I would say he won more than half the Champions League for them. And yet, from what I hear, it seems he’s bad with his feet.
“We can say that there are many players better with their feet than him, but from there to replacing a goalkeeper who has put a Champions League title in your trophy cabinet! In Europe he’s made unbelievable saves, saves that few would have been capable of making.
“Someone of his calibre will certainly land on his feet and go to another big club, although it’s a shame he has to end like this. I wish him the best because he deserves it.”
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