Manchester United was tied to Genluigi Donnaruma’s move before heading to Manchester City in a failed transition to Old Trafford as a result of his economic demands
Manchester United had to kick out £122 million to have Genluigi Donnaruma in the book for the five-year contract.
The Italian was a man looking for a new club when it became clear that his time was awake at PSG. The Red Devils were offered the opportunity to sign a highly rated goalkeeper who was forced to leave Paris when his previous club refused to entertain wage demands.
During the summer, they were concerned about the overall cost of having a Donnaruma at the club while adding a shot stopper to United’s radar. At the age of 26, he stayed at Prime and wanted a long deal – eventually signing a five-year contract with Manchester City.
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However, the Red Devils were originally quoted at a rate of £35 million to land Donnaruma. His annual wages then fell to an astounding £17.4 million. This is a weekly salary of £330,000, making him the club’s best earner, Telegraph reports. During the five-year contract period, that would have been £87 million.
United believes that the four deals they have struck (including the addition of Benjamin Sesco and Brian Mbeumo) do not violate the market value or the club’s wage structure. Signing donnarumma would have changed that.
The Italian made his debut in the Manchester Derby, highlighting his quality with a great save from Mbeumo in the second half. United have been criticised for not landing the Euro 2020 winner, but originally planned to stick with Andre Onana, Altai Bayindeal and Tom Heaton.
Young Belgian goalkeeper Sen Lammens was signed on the deadline for £18 million, but their long-term plan was once again in the spotlight when Onana granted the loan. He headed to Türkiye with Trabzonspor, where United couldn’t land a replacement because the windows were closed.
Early in the summer, Reuben Amorim was considering moving World Cup winner Emi Martinez. However, Aston Villa wanted a fee of £30 million, and the wage expectations for the Argentine guards were £10 million a year.
United remained scarred by past unstoppable relocations, largely due to overpaying and chasing individuals for players, regardless of age. These failures affected their finances and left the club with many players that are difficult to shift given their large wages and the length of their contracts.
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