Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has shared comments from AC Milan’s sporting director that appear to suggest that Gianluigi Donnarumma will not be available for a free transfer this summer, despite talk.
Rossoneri chief Frederic Massara told DAZN before the side’s 2-0 win against Torino that the club are ‘confident’ of reaching a new contract ‘agreement’ with Donnarumma in the next few weeks.
That will serve as a major blow Chelsea, with the Blues continuing to be linked with the stopper despite their recruitment of Edouard Mendy in the summer as they looked to solve their Kepa Arrizabalaga crisis.
Our friend Simon Phillips only learned nine days ago that Chelsea had opened talks to sign the 21-year-old, with that update coming via the source that initially broke the Mendy transfer news.
Donnarumma was set to be one of the highest-profile players in the world to be available on a free transfer this summer, alongside world-class superstars like David Alaba.
AC Milan sport director Frederic Massara to DAZN: “We’re confident to reach an agreement with Donnarumma and Calhanoglu in order to extend their contracts in the next weeks”. ? #ACMilan #transfers
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 9, 2021
Massara has acted as Milan’s sporting director since the summer of 2019, the Donnarumma comments came as part of a big claim from the Italian that also stated Hakan Calhanoglu is set to renew.
Milan signed Donnarumma at the age of 14, the Rossoneri handed the Italian his debut when he was just 16 years old and he’s been the side’s number one ever since, it would be incredibly harsh for the European giants to lose him for nothing after all they’ve done for his development.
With those high stakes in mind, Massara’s comments are seemingly a massive sigh of relief to the club and their fans, we find it hard to believe he’d state as such if a renewal didn’t seem set.
No other goalkeeper of Donnarumma’s age in the world boasts the level of experience he does, which would make him a massive coup on a free transfer.
Donnarumma has already made 226 first-team appearances for Milan across all competitions, with the ace’s 22 caps for Italy marking him as the nation’s stopper for the long-term future.
With Milan currently sitting top of the Serie A table, with a three-point lead over their cross-town rivals, an apparent change in heart of the Mino Raiola represented star doesn’t seem that big a surprise.