Manchester United have reportedly identified Italian international Gianluigi Donnarumma as a replacement for contract rebel David de Gea.
According to a report from Italian publication Calciomercato, AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could be on his way out of the club this summer, with Premier League giants Manchester United eyeing him as a potential replacement for current No. 1 David de Gea.
Manchester United find themselves in a delicate situation with regard to de Gea. The Spanish international will be entering the final year of his current contract next month and while negotiations over a new deal have been going on for a while now, the two parties haven’t arrived at an agreement as of yet.
Recent reports have claimed that de Gea refused Manchester United’s final contract offer as he continues to hold out for a pay packet worth £350,000-a-week, which Ligue 1 champions PSG are willing to offer him. The French giants are planning a £60 million swoop for the 28-year-old in the current window and with de Gea not signing a new deal, United could be forced into a sale.
And should that come to be, the 20-time English champions have identified Donnarumma as a viable candidate to take over from the former Atletico Madrid man. The 20-year-old Italian came through the youth ranks at Milan and has gone on to establish himself as the undisputed first-choice for the Rossoneri since breaking into the team back in 2015.
Donnarumma, since making his debut in October 2015, has missed just two of Milan’s 143 league games and is without a doubt one of the finest goalkeepers in the Serie A. Compared to the legendary Gianluigi Buffon, the 20-year-old has been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid in the past.
Donnarumma has a contract with Milan till 2024, but could be on his way out of the club this summer if Gennaro Gattuso’s side fail to qualify for the Champions League. The youngster is reportedly on a salary of €6 million a year, which could prove to be expensive for the Rossoneri should they miss out on the financial benefits that come with Champions League qualification.
The report from Calciomercato adds that an offer in the range of €60 million to €70 million could be enough to tempt Milan into considering a sale this summer – a sum that shouldn’t be much of a problem for Manchester United.
Any move though, would hinge on de Gea’s decision on his future. Should he continue to refuse the terms being offered by Manchester United, the Red Devils will have no option but to sell him this summer, paving way for Donnarumma’s arrival at Old Trafford. It will be interesting to see how these stories develop in the coming months.
