Paris Saint-Germain director Leonardo said the French giants ‘never worked to make’ Gianluigi Donnarumma ‘leave Milan on a free transfer’.
The Ligue 1 giants picked up the Italy international on a free transfer this summer, when his contract at San Siro expired in June.
Milan signed Mike Maignan from LOSC Lille to replace the Italian 22-year-old and Leonardo quashed any rumours regarding contact before the player’s deal had expired.
Italy: Donnarumma delivers message after being booed at San Siro
The PSG director insisted the club never spoke to Donnarumma about a possible move to Parc des Princes before June.
“We never contacted Donnarumma before June,” Leonardo said at the Festival of Sport, organised by La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Never.
“We had no idea of signing him. In June, he was still free, we talked and decided to do this. There was never any work before that.”
Donnarumma signed a deal until June 2026 with PSG but has initially struggled with playing time in the French capital.
The former Rossonero played in the Champions League against Manchester City and has played three times in Ligue 1 so far this term, with Mauricio Pochettino preferring Keylor Navas over the Azzurri star.
And Leonardo explained PSG didn’t contact the player until this summer, when his contract with the Rossoneri expired.
“Milan said in April that they wouldn’t continue with Donnarumma and signed Maignan,” Leonardo added.
“From there, publicly, he became a free player, but we never contacted him before June. We never worked to make him leave on a free transfer.”
I am sure Raiola was in the ear of Donnarumma about a possible Free move to PSG b4 the season ended.
What happened happened. The player decided to leave for free despite everything the club did for his life.He will always pay that price when he shows up in Milan
I believe him. Raiola lied when he said he has 12m offer on the table. He wanted to force Milan’s hand and get more money plus a fat 20m commission for himself. At the end of the day he had to work for a month or two to find Dollarumma another club.
I believe PSG was just an improvised “solution”, after his desired move to Juventus failed to materialise. I’m sure Raiola pushed him towards the idea, but even Juve realised that they have bigger problem positions. Now it will be interesting to see if he wants to stay at PSG for long, and if they will release him if he does want to leave.
Raiola is a parasite
@Micha97 and Milan Fan…
Absolutely correct. Because Dinnarumma wiuld have been a mrmber if the suffering poor had he accepted Mikan’s 10 mil. Euro offer. As if though 2 mil. euro less in a salary would have caused him to starve to death.
I write this because love Donnarumma for the Nazionale and how he saved the Euro title for Italua. I also understsnd and feel the frustration by the Milanisti of whom my uncle is a supporter.
Please feel free to respond. I like reading thoughtful comments.
Raiola reminds me of the pigs in animal farms
“with Mauricio Pochettino preferring Keylor Navas over the Azzurri star.”
Wow ridiculous statement, you don’t know that, complete supposition on part of the writer.
Highest profile game that PSG played and most important so far was against Man City, if Pochettino prefers Navas he would have been in net during that game.
To all Milan fans, you can hate him as hard as you want as a milan fan but please leave him alone when he plays for national team. Gli azzurri is above everything. Your blind hate has and will continue to cost us dearly.
Milanisti insisting they prefer Magic Mike but can’t help but mentioning Gigio.
PSG gonna eliminate Milan if they meet in the Champions League, LMAO.
Maignan has much better balk distribution. The team play with confidance and aggression with Maignan in goal because he gives them a chance to score every time he passes the ball out. It’s completely changed the team.
I love Dunnarumma but he wasn’t the right goaltender for Milan. Plus there’s always a benefit to having one less Raiola client.
Maignan is better than dollarumma.
I don’t know what’s your point @dangerboy. Obviously PSG would be very likely to eliminate Milan if they met in UCL, they are much stronger and have spent many multiples of what we’ve spent, buying up all the best players with their oil money. I don’t see how that’s funny, “haha billion euro team beat underdogs, hilarious!”
Stop the Drama about the Dollarumma $$
Milan moved forward with someone and so should the Media and Dollarumma $$
Enough Drama!!!!
“Milan said in April that they wouldn’t continue with Donnarumma and signed Maignan,” Leonardo added.
What???
The Serie A season concluded on 23 May 2021 at which point Milan were still publicly waiting for Donnarumma’s response to the contract extension offer.
When Donnarumma apparently did not respond, Milan reacted quickly to sign Maignan, which was made public on 27 May 2021.
But I guess that 27 May would be considered “in April” in some places (like Paris).
Milan may have been in talks with Maignan since April as a reasonable precaution, if Donnarumma would not renew. However, this was never made public.
@dangerboy; are you reading what you’re writing? You sound so stupid lmao
PSG is the favorite if they play Milan, no matter which team Dollarumma plays in.
just crawl back to your hole, fool. smh