After a disappointing season in 2024/25, Manchester City will be desperate to bounce back next term. Pep Guardiola's side have been active in the summer transfer window, as they look to improve on their third-place finish and Champions League play-off elimination to Real Madrid.
There have already been six new faces through the door at the Etihad Stadium this summer. Rayan Cherki, his namesake Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders all joined before the Club World Cup, a competition City were dumped out of at the quarter-final stage. They’ve also added young talent Sverre Nypan, and goalkeepers James Trafford and Marcus Betinelli.
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With two shot-stoppers already signed this summer, it seems that Guardiola wants to bring in a third.
Manchester City’s next summer target
It seems like it will be all change for City this summer between the posts. Two new faces are already signed, and Ederson could leave, with reports at the start of the month suggesting Galatasaray could pursue a move.
Well, City are lining up a move for another new goalkeeper, with Football Insider claiming they ‘are entering the race’ to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Gianluigi Donnarumma.
They have recently ‘expressed an interest’ in signing the Italian and Hugo Viana's transfer team are now 'exploring a move' for the goalkeeper.
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However, this will not be a straightforward deal to do. City are set to face competition from arch-rivals Manchester United, who are also interested in a move for the Euro 2020 winner. As for the fee, it was reported that as much as £43m would be enough to seal the deal for City in the coming weeks.
Why Donnaraumma would be a good signing
One of the heroes of PSG’s Champions League victory last season, Italian shot-stopper Donnarumma, is about to enter his peak years.
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He is just 26 years of age, having first broken through for AC Milan back in 2015/16. Back then, he was described as a “phenom” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Last term, that ability shone through as PSG lifted their first Champions League title. He conceded just 43 goals in 47 games for the French giants, keeping 17 clean sheets in that time.
It is saves like that one against Leandro Trossard which led him to be nominated for the Yashin Trophy. Indeed, Donnarumma's stats from the 2024/25 Champions League campaign are superb.
In 15 matches, he conceded 14 goals and had a save percentage of 72%.
Donnarumma key stats from 2024/25 UCL
Stat
Clean sheets
Goals conceded
Expected goals conceded
Saves
Save percentage
Accurate long balls
Goals prevented
Stats from Sofascore
Interestingly, too, there could certainly be similarities drawn between Donnarumma and former City maverick Mario Balotelli. The journeyman centre-forward was once described as a “crazy” character but “one of the nicest guys ever” by former teammate at the Etihad Stadium, Micah Richards.
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Away from some of the controversy that followed the former Italy striker, he was an important player for City, helping them to win the Premier League in 2011/12.
That season, he bagged 13 goals in 23 top-flight games, and ended his career in East Manchester with 30 strikes in 80 appearances.
Already, the similarities are there to see. Two Italian superstars who have both been in the spotlight for a number of years. In fact, the word “crazy” was also used to describe Donnarumma, who said himself back in 2017 that he is “the most crazy one in the team”.
Of course, let’s not forget, Balotelli is also a former Milan player, just like the Italy goalkeeper. That further increases the similarities between the pair, with their careers potentially crossing over in many ways.
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It is easy to see how Donnarumma could be the second coming of Balotelli. Both are strong characters who have dealt with the pressure of the spotlight and know a thing or two about winning.
City fans would surely love to have a character as big as Donnarumma in the dressing room, in what could be seen as a real throwback to Balotelli’s time at the club.