Manchester City fans may still be coming to terms with the loss of iconic goalkeeper Ederson, but striker Erling Haaland is already excited to be playing alongside replacement goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City marked a new era in their goalkeeping department by allowing Ederson to leave for Fenerbahce after eight years. Donnarumma was signed on deadline day for £26m as his replacement after being allowed to leave Paris Saint-Germain.
Haaland sent an emotional farewell message to Ederson, before welcoming Donnarumma in a separate post.
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And Donnarumma’s reply spoke volumes when it came to the Italian’s motivation to move to City, having already declared his excitement at working under the ‘best manager’ in the world in Pep Guardiola.
Gianluigi Donnarumma to ‘finally’ play alongside Erling Haaland after Man City transfer
Haaland sent a message to Donnarumma, posting a picture of the pair facing each other in an international game between Italy and Norway. He captioned the image: “Welcome Gigio.”
And Donnarumma replied on Instagram: “We will finally play together brother,” with a sky blue love heart.
Donnarumma has long been a fan of Haaland despite their opposing positions, while Haaland has previously referred to his new teammate as ‘number one’ while watching a Paris Saint-Germain game.
Now, they will be on the same team, pairing the player widely considered the best goalkeeper in world football with arguably the best striker in the world.
Gianluigi Donnarumma called Erling Haaland a ‘beast’ after Champions League meeting in January 2025
Despite both players being at the top of European football for the last few years despite their relatively youthful ages, they had not played each other for club or country until this year.
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After PSG beat Manchester City in January, Donnarumma was full of praise for Haaland, saying: “This was the first time I played against him, and I have to say he’s a beast, a real champion. He’s really strong, and I wish him all the best. He’ll be at the top for many years.”
They renewed their on-pitch rivalry in June, with Haaland scoring a one-on-one goal against Donnarumma in a remarkable 3-0 win for Norway.
Now teammates, they will only have to face each other in international games, the next coming in November in a final World Cup qualifier that could play a key role in who qualifies automatically for the 2026 World Cup.