After his spectacular exit from PSG, the Italian custodian joined rivals Manchester City.
The truth behind Manchester United’s pursuit of Gianluigi Donnarumma has emerged.
After nearly three months of drama, the transfer market closed on September 1, capping up a summer in which some of the Premier League’s major clubs made statement moves.
Premier League champions Liverpool added Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, Arsenal recruited Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres, while Manchester United bolstered their attacking roster with a slew of new arrivals.
And it wasn’t just new attackers who made moves this summer; United was one of several clubs to recruit a new custodian during the window, bringing in Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens.
When it became evident that former keeper Andre Onana would not be remaining at the club, many expected United to make an effort to sign Donnarumma, and it has now been revealed why a deal did not materialise.
In one of the most stunning shocks of the summer, Donnarumma issued a lengthy statement declaring his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, despite his desire to stay.
The outstanding custodian was immediately linked with a move to Old Trafford, but according to a fresh claim from The Telegraph, a deal was promptly ruled out due to financial constraints.
According to the report, United was told that in order to lure Donnarumma to the club, they would need to pay a £35 million transfer fee and offer yearly salary of £17.4 million, or almost £330,000 per week.
Assuming he had signed a five or six-year contract, the total cost would have been between £120 and 140 million.
Instead, the Italian international joined United’s local rivals Manchester City, where Pep Guardiola paid £26 million for Donnarumma, who signed a five-year contract with an option for another year.
United considered Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, but his reputed £30 million fee and £10 million yearly salary proved too expensive.
As a result, the club chose 23-year-old Lammens, who, although having yet to play a match for his new club, is regarded as their long-term number one.
The Belgian goalie joined United on transfer deadline day for a reported sum of £18.2 million, including add-ons.
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