Donnarumma is a fabulous shot-stopper but no Rodri in gloves – few thought City needed him until clearly Pep Guardiola did
Another unveiling at the Etihad, a goalkeeper of world renown, who on the face of it reinforces the new order of things in Manchester – City all over it, their once great neighbours United fiddling about by the sale rail.
United expressed interested in Gianluigi Donnarumma too, but had to make do with Senne Lammens, a little-known prospect of limited experience from Belgium.
Meanwhile the ‘keeper who arrived at Old Trafford two years ago with Donnarumma-like fanfare, Andre Onana, is working his passage in Turkey’s remote north east with Trabzonspor.
Whilst Donnarumma’s debut in Sunday’s Manchester derby conforms to the all-powerful City narrative, a club that gets stuff done when a need is identified, life at City is a little more nuanced in this period of renewal, and the Italian swoop hints at the turbulence still rumbling through the club.
(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's Italian goalkeeper #99 Gianluigi Donnarumma makes a save during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on April 21, 2024. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to move to Manchester City on transfer deadline day on Monday, Spetember 1, after the Premier League reportedly agreed a 35-million-euro ($41 million) deal with Paris Saint-Germain. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
City swooped in for Donnarumma in a blow to James Trafford (Photo: AFP)
Big Donna was declared surplus by Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique, despite his “best-in-the-world” reputation. Instead, Enrique invested last month in just the kind of ball-playing keeper beloved by Pep Guardiola, Lille’s 23-year-old Lucas Chevalier.
The return of James Trafford to City coupled with the sale of Ederson was interpreted as validation of a ‘keeper who spent eight years at the Etihad before joining Burnley two years ago.
Trafford, it was thought, might even emerge as a fringe candidate for Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad. Not with the Prima Donna in possession he won’t.
Indeed, the Italian’s arrival is more United-like in execution, a snap move for a big name to solve a problem hitherto unforeseen. Clearly Guardiola is not wholly convinced that Trafford is sufficiently hardened to serve City reliably. Donnarumma, a fabulous shot-stopper but no Rodri in gloves, is the snap compromise.
After City’s poorest season since Guardiola’s arrival last term, City sit 13th on three points, four places and one point behind United.
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Despite the potency of Erling Haaland, the return of Rodri and high-calibre reinforcements in midfield and attack, Guardiola is still struggling for balance and rhythm.
Though he signed a contract extension last November until June 2027, there were signs last season of fatigue, and a sense that the game was shunting him towards the exit.
Donnarumma is thus a signing out of step with City’s protocols and Guardiola’s ‘keeper profile, more Joe Hart than Ederson. And it could be that he creates as many difficulties for Guardiola as he solves.
Of course, Guardiola has to be positive in his appraisal of Donnarumma, and he was during his media briefing without revealing City’s rationale for the move.
“I wouldn’t demand Gigi do something he is uncomfortable with, “Guardiola said. “We are talking about the best player [goalkeeper] I have ever seen with distribution, short and long passes, in Ederson. We didn’t take Gigi to do what Ederson has done. Gigi has another quality.”
We are rather more familiar with muddled thinking at Old Trafford, where Onana has departed after one month earlier being assured of his No 1 status at the club.
Onana was an Erik ten Hag signing, which might explain his failure to adjust. United can’t blame Ten Hag for the confusion over his departure, however.
That was the work of the newly assembled technical department that bears all the dysfunctional hallmarks of the wild bunch they replaced.
Though described in Belgium as “Mini Courtois”, Lammens has had only one full season in goal for Antwerp. At 6ft 3ins with a penchant for scoring headers as well as saving penalties, Lammens has the characteristics of a top-class ‘keeper but lacks big-match experience.
Since there are none bigger than the Manchester derby, Ruben Amorim had little choice but to stick with the error-prone Altay Bayindir. It was either that or pitch 38-year-old Tom Heaton in front of Haaland. Neither choice is ideal at a juncture where United are straddling the delicate line between progress and failure.
“It is a different league, a different country, different training, different ball,” Amorim said of Lammens’ Belgium schooling. “They will fight for the position but for me in this game is clear, Altay will start. He (Lammens) is a goalkeeper with a lot of potential, one more option to play. And he will be ready.”
Amorim, buoyed by an xG table that places United in the vanguard of Premier League attempts on goal, is full of optimism once more, the mortification of Grimsby eased by victory over Burnley followed by 10 days out of the spotlight.
Let’s see how he feels after an afternoon looking up at Donnarumma and Haaland at the Etihad, a giant shot-stopper at one end, a peerless goal machine at the other.