Gianluigi Donnarumma has told his club that he will refuse to extend his current playing contract with AC Milan, alerting all of Europe to his availability, and I would love for Arsenal to be his destination.
The young goalkeeper has been under the watchful eyes of Europe’s most prestigious clubs since breaking into the first-team last season as a 16 year-old, and at 18, is already looking to make the jump to a bigger side.
Donnarumma has entered the final 12 months of his contract this month, and his club has revealed the player and his agent Mino Raiola’s decision to reject the offer of a new contract.
Club director Marco Fassone said: “We are disheartened. [Donnarumma’s agent] Mino Raiola has conveyed to me Donnarumma’s decision not to renew. It’s his final decision.
“In the past few days, sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli [the club’s director of sport] made a very big offer to the player, who evaluated it and today he informed us that he did not intend to renew,” added Fassone. “We were confident that Gigio would be the goalkeeper of this new Milan; a pillar upon which we would build, but now we have to re-evaluate everything.
“This decision, taken by the player and his agent, is disappointing, but we have to move on; Milan move on.”
The super-agent is known for his ability to broker the biggest of transfer deals all around the continent, and is known to work strongly with a number of big-spending clubs, and the star’s decision will send the transfer rumour mill into overload.
David De Gea is believed to have held off on contract talks with Manchester United whilst talk of Real Madrid’s interest continues, but he may now find himself missing out on his dream return to the Spanish capital, should Real decide to target the young Italian.
Arsenal may also consider their own move for the AC Milan wonderkid, with questions having been raised against number one Petr Cech last term, as well as with David Ospina and Wojciech Szczesny both close to the exit door.
Donnarumma would pose as the ideal long-term goalkeeper to take over from the former Chelsea star, but to land him, we would most likely have to guarantee him a first-team role.
Should Arsenal demote Cech and go all-out for Donnarumma? Will Donnarumma already know his next destination before making his decision with AC Milan?
Pat J