Gigio Donnarumma has the makings of a true champion. The 17-year-old Milan goalkeeper is the talk of Europe showing a professional attitude both on and off the pitch for someone so young. Many clubs are monitoring his progress, clubs such as Manchester City and Real Madrid but there is interest much closer to home from reigning Serie A champions Juventus and a shock switch to Turin cannot be discounted.
 

The similarities between Donnarumma and the man he will surely eventually replace as Italy’s number one, Gigi Buffon, are startling. At 16 years and eight months he made his rossoneri debut against Sassuolo, Buffon and another Italian goalkeeping legend, Angelo Peruzzi, made their respective bows aged 17 years and nine months. Donnarumma wants to follow in his footsteps and when Buffon eventually hangs up his gloves, possibly in 2018, it’s not going to be difficult to find his natural heir. Bianconeri CEO Beppe Marotta declared today that; “Over the past 20 years, Juventus has always had the goalkeeper of the national team and before that there was Dino Zoff. We would like to continue on this road”. It’s clear that Juventus are definitely interested spectators in this intriguing story.  

A draft agreement between the agent of the boy from Castellammare di Stabia, Mino Raiola and outgoing Milan General Manager Adriano Galliani, has been agreed which will see Donnarumma extending his stay at Milan until 2022 earning €2 million per season. The contract is due to be signed on February 25th 2017, the occasion of his 18th birthday but now Raiola has seen his client become part of the Italian national team and is aware of the outside interest. Incoming CEO Fassone now has some serious negotiating to do and needs to put something concrete in place sooner rather than later. As the new Chinese owners prepare to take over the rossoneri, their star goalkeeper will become their immediate priority.

By Daniele Longo. Translated by Steve Mitchell