Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Luis Enrique has stated that he was the one who removed goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from the team.
Enrique made this statement regarding the keeper who helped secure the French League, French Cup, and UEFA Champions League last season, following PSG’s decision to release Donnarumma. He was speaking about the reason for not including him in the squad selected to play against Tottenham Hotspur in the Super Cup.
“I didn’t include him in the team. I take full responsibility for that. Donnarumma is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. However, I want to work on a different idea. I wish him success,” Enrique said.
Regarding this matter, Donnarumma said that someone at the club doesn’t want him there. His agent stated that they were very surprised by the sudden way PSG handled things.
“PSG didn’t handle things well at all. We suddenly learned that they didn’t include his name in the team list. In reality, the club acted very disrespectfully. Things could have been done more gracefully,” the agent said.
He further stated that Donnarumma played for PSG willingly, without any issues, and that problems with the club arose after the World Cup during contract renewal discussions.
According to reports, the issue between Donnarumma and PSG arose during contract renewal negotiations. He is one of the highest-paid players at the club. However, PSG now wants Donnarumma, 26, to agree to the club’s policies before moving forward. The first step is for Donnarumma to agree to the club’s new salary structure. He has only one year left on his contract. The talks between the two parties to renew this agreement have been unsuccessful so far because Donnarumma doesn’t agree to the new salary structure. The reason is that under this structure, his current salary would be significantly reduced.
Amidst these disagreements, PSG has brought in goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier from Lille in France. Chevalier also played in the match where they won the Super Cup. He was brought in for 40 million dollars. In addition, they are working on bringing in some other goalkeepers as well.
Clubs interested in Donnarumma include teams from his home country Italy and England. Although Inter Milan from Italy showed interest, they haven’t made a bid so far. In England, two Manchester clubs are involved. Manchester United has already held discussions with PSG about buyingG about buying him. However, these talks have stalled due to the player’s high salary and PSG’s asking price of over 50 million euros.
His agent said that they haven’t talked to any Italian clubs and that the player’s intention is to move to play in the English league.
