PSG Close To Signing $69M Goalkeeper -- Another Barcelona Target After Wijnaldum: Report

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are reportedly close to sealing the deal for AC Milan’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the next few hours.

PSG have offered Donnarumma a five-year deal with wages of around $15 million per year plus add-ons, reported Sky Sports. The Italian shot-stopper is also being chased by FC Barcelona but if the Catalan club decides not to match or raise the bid, PSG will once again win a transfer battle over these opponents this summer.

The Ligue 1 side is expected to confirm the signing of Donnarumma in the next few hours and the goalkeeper has asked for a No. 99 jersey. But PSG has also made it clear that their current first-choice ‘keeper Keylor Nevas is leaving the club by no means, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who has a credible record in transfer markets.

It was earlier reported that PSG hijacked Barcelona’s transfer target, Gini Wijnaldum, at the last minute by offering the midfielder wages double that of Barcelona’s bid. Wijnaldum, who was asked to accept a salary cut at Camp Nou, not surprisingly, decided to join PSG instead of Ronald Koeman-managed Barcelona.

Even though Donnarumma is leaving AC Milan as a free agent, his current market value is around $69 million, according to Transfermarkt. Hence, bagging the young and talented goalkeeper for free this summer would be a great deal for any club.

The 22-year-old Donnarumma is currently on international duty with Italy ahead of the European Championships. He is expected to undergo a medical at the national team’s Coverciano training base before their opening Euro 2020 match against Turkey in Rome on Friday.

Ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, AC Milan have already roped in a replacement for Donnarumma in the form of Ligue 1 champions Lillee’s Mike Maignan, who has moved to Milan at a transfer fee of around $18 million.

In the 2020-21 season, Donnarumma kept 15 clean sheets in 48 competitive appearances for AC Milan, helping the side finish second in Serie A and secure Champions League football for next season. AC Milan are set to return to the top European tournament after a gap of seven years.

Donnarumma, who rose through the youth ranks of Napoli before moving to AC Milan in 2013, went on to make his senior debut with the San Siro side two years later when he was just 16-years-old. He made a total of 251 competitive appearances for AC Milan over the years, keeping 88 clean sheets and was a part of the AC Milan team that won the Supercoppa Italiana trophy in 2016.