It appears that Gianluigi Donnarumma’s fate has been written, with Manchester United heavily linked with the goalkeeper this summer.
While Man United have bolstered their squad depth across the pitch, following the signings of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Diego Leon, and Benjamin Sesko, there seems to be one position where they still desperately need some fresh talent.
This would be the goalkeeper. With Andre Onana struggling to find consistency over two seasons and back-up Altay Bayindir faring no better, a pair of safe gloves is desperately needed at Old Trafford.
With several names being mentioned in the media, perhaps none has been as loudly vocalised as Donnarumma.
The race begins
Despite being a reigning UEFA Champions League winner with PSG, it appears that Donnarumma’s time in Paris is coming to an end.
Yesterday, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that PSG excluded the Italian from their squad to face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Super Cup.
This comes after he decided not to sign a new deal at PSG. With no contract in place, Romano claimed that the goalkeeper is set to leave PSG, either this summer or in 2026 as a free agent.
Understandably, such news excited United fans, with Jan Aage Fjørtoft explaining that the club is indeed in the running to sign Donnarumma, but that they’ll need to sell some players first in order to raise the required funds.
This morning, however, fresh reports seemed to indicate the likelihood of United actually pulling a deal off.
Where United stand
CaughtOffside appeared optimistic in their assessment of the situation, seemingly expecting a deal to go through.
“Sources close to the agent industry have informed CaughtOffside that relations between Donnarumma and the PSG hierarchy have broken down, and with his contract set to expire in 2026, the Ligue 1 champions are open to selling him this summer rather than risk losing him for free,” the report read.
“Man United are believed to be at the front of the queue for his signature. Amorim has made Donnarumma’s signing a personal priority, viewing him as the ideal replacement for Andre Onana.”
Still, even with United seemingly willing to make a move, there is a massive issue standing in the way.
The obstacle
Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic explained that even though Donnarumma seems willing to depart PSG, United may have an obstacle in the way of a potential deal.
“The goalkeeper position carries some intrigue, with United continuing to be linked with a new No 1. Donnarumma is the latest name, and he appears to be heading for the exit at PSG after they this week signed Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier,” Whitwell explained.
“At 23, Chevalier is three years younger than Donnarumma, who has not agreed to a new contract. His current terms expire in 2026. United’s stance on goalkeepers — since Aston Villa rejected their loan offer for Emiliano Martinez — is that a signing could only happen if Andre Onana departs, and there are no signs of that at present,” he continued, signalling United’s need to offload Onana before signing a new keeper.
“Onana is hoping to be fit for the opening game of the Premier League against Arsenal on Sunday. A move for Donnarumma is not expected to materialise,” he concluded, potentially breaking fans’ hearts with Onana seemingly blocking a deal.
While it has been a highly successful transfer window for United to date, it appears that manager Ruben Amorim may be willing to give Onana more time to improve at United. Hopefully, he can prove that this is the right decision.
Featured image Buda Mendes via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
