Gianluigi Donnarumma looks set to become a Manchester City player.
Donnarumma’s medical at Manchester City is imminent as he is set to succeed Ederson, who could join Fenerbahce.
With the Italian set to play his football at the Etihad Stadium, it’s safe to suggest that his impending arrival is a surprising one for a team that has liked to play out from the back since Pep Guardiola’s appointment in 2016.
While Gianluigi Donnarumma is one of the most in-form goalkeepers in the world, he has never been renowned for his ball-playing ability.
Pep Guardiola’s ball-playing goalkeeper admission does not bode well for Gianluigi Donnarumma
Speaking to Men In Blazers, Pep Guardiola admitted that while he does not demand his goalkeeper to be as comfortable in possession as Ederson, they must be decent enough on the ball in his system.
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“It’s difficult for me to find one keeper that is not brave with the feet, it’s so difficult to find! I’m not saying be like Ederson; have ability to put the ball 60 yards, in the pockets, an incredible ability to do it, like Stefan Ortega, for example, he has this ability as well. I’m not saying that, but all of them have to have the minimum to play with the ball.”
Even PSG fan Julien Laurens claimed Donnarumma struggles in possession and there are several examples to back up his inadequacies with the ball at his feet; one being against Real Madrid in 2022 when he virtually gifted Karim Benzema a goal after being put under pressure by the Frenchman.
Over the years, the Italian has been culpable for making several such high-profile mistakes, as his attempt to play out from the back was intercepted by Gregoire Defrel and the ball ricocheted onto him in the back of the net.
While Pep Guardiola praised Donnarumma when he was 18, his game has not particularly developed in terms of being a ball-playing goalkeeper over the years — with the likes of Vitinha and Joao Neves taking a bulk of responsibility at Paris Saint-Germain to help the side progress play from deeper zones.
Gianluigi Donnarumma looking on before Chelsea v Paris Saint-Germain
Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images
Considering Manchester City were often forced into errors in build-up by Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, Guardiola’s recent comments could suggest why the treble-winner may struggle in his setup.
Gianluigi Donnarumma and Ederson’s stats compared last season
However, the Catalan has shown over the years that he can improve players considerably but even so, it is a very difficult task for a traditional goalkeeper to revolutionise their game and become excellent on the ball.
One of the reasons behind David De Gea’s decline at Manchester United was due to the fact that he was an orthodox shotstopper and the stats further prove why Donnarumma may have a tough time for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side.
STATS PER 90 EDERSON GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA
TOUCHES 37.14 29.97
LAUNCH % 17% 18%
GOAL KICKS 3.22 4.64
AVG LENGTH OF GOAL KICKS 32.5 32.3
Over the past 365 days
Donnarumma has taken fewer touches per game than Ederson over the past year and launched more goal kicks but not to the same distance.
As a result, Manchester City may have no choice but to discover a way where the PSG number one is not overly involved in their process of building out from the back.