With Donnarumma probably heading to England, Wayne Girard argues that becoming a member of Manchester Metropolis could be a deserved – and doubtless the most effective – transfer for the Italian goalkeeper.
Gianluigi Donnarumma is now 25 years outdated and is already ingrained as one in every of Italy’s greatest keepers of all time. That claims quite a bit for a rustic that birthed Dino Zoff, Francesco Toldo, Enrico Albertosi, and naturally, Gianluigi Buffon. Now with hypothesis that he might be becoming a member of Manchester Metropolis to switch Ederson, Gigi has earned the prospect to play for one of many best membership groups in current historical past.
He’s been the spine of Italy since taking the reins from his idol, with which he shares the identical first identify, who demanded to be a full-fledged skilled whereas nonetheless a young person. Now, he’s gained Ligue 1 each season since becoming a member of Paris Saint-Germain, on prime of a slew of particular person awards and honours.
It simply felt like he deserved a lot extra this summer time. The keeper who saved two spot kicks to win Italy the earlier Euro, who had three clear sheets within the group stage, saved a penalty to disclaim Spain within the semi-final and was then named Participant of the Match by UEFA (the primary time for a keeper). What a disappointment EURO 2024 was.
Flashback to the Italian’s first season in Paris and PSG had been eradicated by Actual Madrid within the Champions League Spherical of 16. After main by two targets, he allowed a Karim Benzema hat trick for Los Blancos to win 3-2 on mixture. With pressure peaking, he received right into a bust-up with Neymar, requiring the 2 of them to be separated by their teammates. The media dramatised the occasion, hurting the then 21-year-old’s psyche.
PSG had been eradicated in the identical spherical as soon as once more the next 12 months. It’s a travesty when contemplating the amount of money possession invested within the group and their true objective since Qatar Sports activities Investments’ takeover. Bayern Munich gained each legs to make it 3-0 on mixture. PSG had an total poor displaying, and Eric Choupo-Moting had little problem placing it previous Donnarumma to cancel out any concepts of a second-leg comeback.
Recall that only a few brief months in the past, PSG seemed destined to achieve the ultimate for the second time in 4 years after getting a ‘lucky’ draw with Borussia Dortmund. Maybe overconfidence performed a job, as they crashed out as soon as once more, failing to attain a single objective over the 2 legs. Nevertheless, the worst second of the event this previous 12 months got here not within the semi-final however within the quarter-final in opposition to Barcelona. Donnarumma was voted worst on the pitch by revered French newspaper L’equipe with a dismal 3 ranking. He was criticised for a poor learn on Yamine Lamal’s cross to permit Barca’s first objective, then gave the ball away within the build-up to permit Raphina to attain, after which didn’t learn the third objective off of a nook kick.
Again to Euro 2024. As Guglielmo Vicario has risen enormously during the last three seasons, many followers throughout social media felt that the Tottenham keeper ought to be getting the nod over Gigio, maintaining these PSG errors in thoughts. Nevertheless, when the Ligue 1 giants had been rumoured to be signing Matbey Safonov for the primary spot a day earlier than Italy’s Euro 2024 debut in opposition to Albania, Luciano Spalletti was the primary to have his again, stating: “My opinion is that if Donnarumma is launched from PSG, he’ll go on to discover a stronger group.”
It wasn’t the primary time both. A 12 months in the past, Spalletti additionally defended him after receiving boos in Italy’s 2-1 win over Ukraine – which was performed on the San Siro: “As for all the pieces that’s stated and written about him, it’s the nature of the goalkeeping place that at all times will get plenty of blame… As well as, in his particular case, we can not forgive him for being a prodigy who skips the steps, who has this expertise, who has so many qualities.”
Donnarumma was finally rewarded with the captain’s armband for the Azzurri and shone because the group’s north star through the newest Euros. Being handed this duty by one of the vital revered and skilled managers in Italian soccer is another testomony in direction of the shot-stopper’s price. Spalletti’s boys failed on the Spherical of 16, and would have crashed sooner if it hadn’t been for Gigio’s heroics within the group stage. The ex-Milan star has proved he can deal with strain on the world stage, and Manchester Metropolis could be clever to go all in on him.
Donnarumma is a nationwide treasure who’s esteemed by his teammates and managers alike. He’s led his membership and nation to glory at such tender ages. It will be a pleasure for him and each fan of Italian soccer to see him play for one of the vital dominant groups that this sport has seen in fairly a while. He’s earned it.
