BEVERLY HILLS, May 26, (THEWILL) – Italian bigwigs AC Milan have confirmed, through club Director Paolo Maldini, that one of their goalkeepers, Gianluigi Donnarumma, will be leaving the club at the expiration of his contract in about a month.
The goal tender will exit for free as Milan has secured the signature of Mike Maignan from LOSC Lille in his place.
Donnarumma was offered a massive extension of his contract, about 8 million euros per year for 5 years, but apparently stalled for a better deal and did not accept. That better deal never came.
Not to be held to ransom by a player, when there was no response forthcoming from Donnarumma and his agent, Mino Raiola, Milan looked elsewhere.
That move came as an unexpected switch for Donnarumma, as he expected fresh negotiations rather than being replaced. He has no agreement with any other club and will be left hanging by the club directors’ decision to get an alternative than struggle with Raiola, back and forth without progress.
The business-focused Raiola was of the mind that Milan, in qualifying for elite European football next season, would raise their offer.
However, the smart business of deciding for another keeper, saved the Rossoneri over 50 million euros for the next 5 years. That smart decision brought in Lille’s 25 year old goalkeeper Maignan for 13 million euros plus bonuses.
On Tuesday, Maignan completed his medicals and signed a five-year deal with the club to keep him with Milan until the summer of 2026 on an annual contract of 2.8 million euros. They get a premium keeper, who kept the most clean sheets in Europe’s top 5 leagues this past season as he led to Lille to the Ligue 1 title.
Maignan played 48 games this season where he kept 21 clean sheets in the league and a further two clean sheets in other competitions for his record-setting performance.
The goalkeeper has also been capped by the France national team this past season and is also in the squad for the Euros starting next month.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
