AC Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has turned down a new contract offer which has triggered interest among the big clubs of Europe. The Italian keeper has been in hotshot form and has attracted interest from Europe’s elite clubs.
The 18-year-old is touted to be the successor of Gianluigi Buffon who has been the no.1 choice for the Italian national team for the past few years. Donnarumma has already made his debut for the Azzurri and has been the preferred choice for Milan.
Milan have reportedly offered a five-year deal to the player with a wage of around £77,000 a week. Talks have failed after his representative Mino Raiola met with the club hierarchy for discussing his client’s future. The youngster has only a year a left on his contract and Milan doesn’t want to lose him for free when his contract expires next year. However both the parties can still reach a conclusion if Milan includes a release clause in his contract in the tune of €40 m.
A number of clubs including Real Madrid will be weighing their options to table a bid for the teenager.
Real Madrid
Los Blancos needs a proper upgrade to Keylor Navas. They have been chasing Manchester United keeper David De Gea but had to back out after the Red Devils quoted a mammoth amount for him. Madrid have not made an official bid yet but they are contemplating a big move for the teenager.
With his contract expiring next season, the shot-stopper would command a lower fee than De Gea and his age also stands out as a huge difference. The keeper just had his breakthrough season and would need further polishing to sharpen his skills. He is unlikely to be directly launched in the first team but will be the second fiddle to Navas initially.
Juventus
The Serie A champions are seeking a keeper as Gianluigi Buffon will be retiring next season as his contract with the Italian champions is coming to an end. The Turin-based club have the knack to get a hand on Serie-A’s best talent and will be trying to hijack a deal for the young keeper. But Milan would be reluctant to sell their prized asset to a direct rival and it remains to be seen whether the club goes in with an offer or not.
Liverpool
The form of Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius has forced Jurgen Klopp to look for some alternate options. Both the keepers have been very error prone although Mignolet was pretty impressive in the last few games.
Klopp is prioritising the signing of a new keeper and Donnarumma could be that player.
