Manchester United were plagued by goalkeeping issues in the past couple of seasons. The Red Devils signed Andre Onana to replace David De Gea in 2023, but the Cameroonian failed to live up to the mark.
Onana would go on to concede 150 goals from only 102 games for the Premier League giants, dividing opinion among fans and critics.
He lost his place to Altay Bayindir at the start of the new campaign, but the Turkey international has also failed to impress. The situation prompted United to consider their options this summer, and former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma popped up on their radar.
One of the best in the world
Donnarumma played a key role in the Parisians’ run to a historic treble last season, finishing the campaign with 17 clean sheets from 47 games in all competitions.
However, the 26-year-old had entered the final year of his contract this summer, and with renewal talks not progressing due to the player’s wage demands, he was put up for sale.
Interestingly, United were long-term admirers of the Italian and were offered the chance to sign the player. However, they turned down the offer, and Donnarumma ended up joining rivals Manchester City instead, signing a five-year deal at the Etihad.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, signed Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day for a reported €21m fee. The Premier League giants’ decision to pass up the opportunity to sign Donnarumma has now been explained.
United balked at the finances of the deal
According to The Telegraph, United backed away after learning the financial requirements of the deal. Because he was in the final year of his deal, Donnarumma was available for £35m this summer, which was a bargain deal for a player of his calibre.
However, the player reportedly wanted annual wages of £17.4m. That corresponds to weekly wages of £330,000, which would have made him the highest-paid player at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, the entire cost of a five-year deal would have been a colossal £87m.
Despite his obvious talents, United were unwilling to invest £122m on a goalkeeper this summer. The deal would have also broken the club’s wage structure.
The Premier League giants also felt that the other deals they completed this summer represented good market value, which wasn’t the case with the Donnarumma transfer. United were also linked with Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, but didn’t pursue the deal because of the finances involved.
Interestingly, the Red Devils would go on to offload Onana on loan to Trabzonspor earlier this month, so they are a little light in the goalkeeper department at the moment. Unless Lammens hits the ground running, United’s decision could come back to haunt them.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
