Arsenal are eyeing a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma; it has been claimed.
According to Tuttomercatoweb(via Daily Star), Arsenal manager Unai Emery is contemplating making a move for Gianluigi Donnarumma this summer. The Gunners will be devoid of solid goalkeeping depth following the retirement of Petr Cech at the end of this season.
It is also believed that Emery has doubts over Bernd Leno’s readiness to feature at the highest level of football. As a result, the Spaniard is eyeing a move for Donnarumma, who could cost close to what Liverpool paid for Alisson last summer.
Gianluigi Donnaruma: Why Emery should drop the idea
Donnarumma is regarded as one of the best young goalkeepers in world football. Following his breakout in the 2015/16 campaign, the 20-year-old has become a vital part of the Milan side, having made 164 competitive appearances for the club.
He has been consistent with his performances as well, keeping 59 clean sheets, which stands at a relatively healthy ratio of 0.35 clean sheets per game in all competitions.
Donnarumma’s tall frame of 1.96m makes him an intimidating figure for any attacker and helps him a cover a lot area in goal. It also helps him assert his dominance during set-pieces, which could be a really useful asset for any Premier League goalkeeper.
The addition of Donnarumma, therefore, will undoubtedly change the dynamics of the Arsenal defence. He already has a vast amount of experience in the top flight football and at the age of 20, the Italian international will be able to offer the prospect for the future.
That being said, making a move for Donnarumma would be an absurd decision by Emery, given his club’s financial shortcoming this summer. It is believed that the Spaniard will be given a paltry budget of just £40 million should Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Hence, there is no way the Gunners could afford him without securing the Europa League this season. But even if they do qualify for the Champions League next season, Donnarumma would consume a big portion of their transfer kitty. And that won’t be a sensible thing to do considering the problems Arsenal are facing not just in the defensive department but also in the creative side of the game.
Therefore, it would perhaps be wiser for Emery to drop his interest in the Italian international and continue with Bernd Leno, who has been decent and will only get better with more experience. Instead, he should look for a new defender, who could bring stability to a nervy backline along with a winger, who could revamp Arsenal’s attacking department in the light of the waning powers of Ozil and Mkhitaryan.