- Speculation linked Donnarumma with AC Milan exit earlier this week
- Youngster jeered by Milan fans during Coppa Italia win on Wednesday night
- Agent Mino Raiola involved in war of words with Massimiliano Mirabelli
- READ MORE: AC Milan transfer news: €65m pair could be loaned out, sold next summer
It’s been an eventful week for AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, as his future at the club has once again been put under the spotlight.
As noted by La Gazzetta dello Sport, there was confusion over whether or not a release clause was included in the contract that the 18-year-old signed over the summer after he faced a fierce backlash from supporters having initially rejected the club’s offer of a renewal.
In turn, that ultimately paved the way for the reaction in midweek, with Milan fans unveiling a banner prior to the 3-0 win over Verona, which read: ‘Moral violence, €6m per year and the signing of a parasite brother? Now go, our patience is finished’.
Donnarumma was seen being consoled by Leonardo Bonucci in the dressing room and on the pitch while Gennaro Gattuso and sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli rallied around him and insisted that he had not suggested he wanted to leave, which would lead us to believe that baseless rumours have sparked an unnecessary reaction from a small section of supporters.
The Milan starlet responded on Instagram on Thursday night, as seen below, noting: “It was an ugly night that I didn’t expect. I never said, nor wrote, that I was on the end of moral violence when I signed the contract. Despite all of this, I look ahead with my mind on the next game… Forza Milan!”
Meanwhile, La Gazzetta dello Sport report on how the war of words between Mirabelli and agent Mino Raiola has continued, and so it all remains to be seen how that impacts Donnarumma’s future at the San Siro.
Donnarumma has proven his class time and time again for the Rossoneri with countless key saves, and he remains one of the top prospects in football while showing maturity and quality beyond his years.
However, it appears as though the controversy surrounding him off the pitch won’t go away, with Raiola and the club continuing to butt heads and make life difficult. Does that suggest a split is inevitable? Or can the damage be repaired again?
There’s seemingly a large section of fans who remain on his side as they showed their support for him and disdain for Raiola with a trending hashtag on Twitter, ‘GigioMollalo’, calling for him to split with his agent to finally put the unrest to bed.
It remans to be seen whether or not that happens, but it’s another unwanted distraction for Milan as they continue to attempt to push their way up the Serie A table after a disappointing start to the campaign despite heavy investment over the summer. Perhaps that should be the bigger focus right now.