Chelsea to battle PSG for Italian star Gianluigi Donnarumma
According to Italian publication Tuttosport (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea are set to battle it out with Paris Saint-Germain for AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The 21-year-old Italian is one of Serie A’s best keepers. Since making his Milan debut at the age of 16, he has gone on to make 190 appearances for the club while keeping 69 clean sheets.
Frank Lampard remains unconvinced by the abilities of Blues keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and is keen to find a replacement for him this summer.
The Spaniard moved to Stamford Bridge for a world record fee of £71.6million in the summer of 2018. He has failed to deliver as expected and has even been relegated to the bench this season.
Of all goalkeepers to play over 1,000 minutes in the Premier League this season, Kepa is last in overall save percentage, save percentage for shots faced inside the box and in expected goals prevented. He has conceded 6.72 goals more than he should have. (h/t Daily Mail)
With Lampard still unconvinced, the club has now set their sights on Donnarumma. It will, however, not be easy given PSG’s strong interest.
The Parisians could be set to offer Alphonse Areola in part exchange for the Italian. The French keeper is currently on loan at Real Madrid and is surplus to needs at the Parc des Princes.
Donnarumma is one of the finest keepers in Italy and looks set to move in the summer following a breakdown in contract negotiations. His spell at the club ends in 2021 and the Rossoneri risk losing him for free if new terms are not agreed.
Donnarumma is an excellent keeper who has garnered great experience for his age. He can only get better with time and could be at the club for a long time if everything works out.
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Italy has produced one Gianluigi who went on to become one of the best in the business. If Donnarumma even comes close to what Buffon did, he will have done very well indeed. Hopefully, it will be Chelsea who reaps the benefits.