Gianluigi Donnarumma’s agent Enzo Raiola revealed that only a Premier League club could afford to sign his client, who has been “disrespected” by Paris Saint-Germain to such an extent that he is considering taking legal action.
Donnarumma took to social media on Tuesday evening to announce that he had been forced out of PSG by one individual. Manager Luis Enrique admitted that he was “100% responsible” for this standoff, explaining that it has “to do with the profile of the goalkeeper my team needs.”
PSG are thought to be demanding €50 million (£43.2 million, $58.3 million) for a player who will become a free agent next summer. Donnarumma’s representative was unimpressed with almost every aspect of PSG’s recent conduct, including this asking price.
“Perhaps only in the Premier League can they satisfy the club’s exaggerated financial demands,” Raiola seethed to Sky Italia. “They talk about respect, but at this point, perhaps the respect is only financial. It’s not about abandoning a project and finding the best for Gigio. Even in terms of image, we need to take our stand to understand how to interact with the club.”
Manchester United and Chelsea have both reportedly removed Donnarumma from their transfer wishlists this summer, but interest from Manchester City is thought to be ramping up. L’Équipe report that Pep Guardiola’s side have already agreed personal terms with the Italy captain as they line up a move to Galatasaray for existing No. 1 Ederson.
Raiola was at pains to stress quite how dramatic PSG’s shift in stance has been. “The boy is very sorry for what happened. The last 10 days risk erasing four years here. I’m shocked by this disrespect, a castle has collapsed,” the agent sighed.
It had been claimed that Donnarumma had refused to sign a new deal in Paris after being confronted with the club’s rejigged wage structure. Raiola presented a rather conflicting picture. “PSG had made different requests,” he huffed.
“In the end, we accepted an offer lower than his current salary because Gigio wanted to stay, then they changed the rules of the game, at which point we broke off negotiations to get back in touch after the Champions League final. We spoke again before the Club World Cup, and they confirmed their desire to continue. What happened in the last 10 days was unexpected.”
PSG signed Lucas Chevalier last week before leaving Donnarumma out of the squad for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup. “I understand the need to buy a new goalkeeper,” Raiola continued, “but to completely dismiss Gigio after everything he's done for the club is a huge lack of respect, which I will evaluate with my lawyers. Regardless of whether the coach took it, he also works for the club, and with my lawyers, we want to better understand their position.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s Agent Drops Premier League Transfer Bombshell.
