Pedullà: ‘Donnarumma to Manchester City will go down to the wire’ | OneFootball

Football Italia transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà warns the Gianluigi Donnarumma situation ‘will go down to the wire’ with Manchester City, as Bayern Munich and Italian teams would be favourites for a free agent.

The Italy goalkeeper has been excluded by Paris Saint-Germain just weeks after winning the Champions League as part of the Treble, hoping to push him out before his contract expires in June 2026.

They risk leaving him in the stands for several months and losing even more of that investment if a deal cannot be done for a sale.

Donnarumma frozen out by Paris Saint-Germain

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 05: Gianluigi Donnarumma #1 of Paris Saint-Germain during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarter final match between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern München at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 05, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

“It is an absurd situation. But look, maybe we don’t know everything about this situation. Otherwise you can’t explain it,. We don’t know everything that has happened, we don’t know the whole story,” Pedullà told The Italian Football Podcast.

“He is the best goalkeeper in the world, 60-70% of the reason PSG won the Champions League was thanks to him, he saved everything that he needed to, and you offer him a contract where he would earn less than what he earned the previous year. Because he earned €12m last year and they offered him €6-7m with add-ons.

“No you have to offer him €15-17m given that PSG have always gifted important salaries to everyone. Also in terms of meritocracy in the sense that he won you the Champions League and he was the biggest architect behind that Champions League win. So evidently there are things we don’t know.”

Why Manchester City want Donnarumma now

MUNICH, GERMANY – MAY 31: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Paris Saint-Germain kisses the UEFA Champions League trophy after his team’s victory, to secure Paris Saint-Germain’s first ever UEFA Champions League title in the club’s history and a record UEFA Champions League Final winning scoreline of 5-0, following the UEFA Champions League Final 2025 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Internazionale Milano at Munich Football Arena on May 31, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Manchester City have emerged as the surprising front-runners for the Azzurri captain this summer, largely because they are the ones most likely to offer a substantial transfer fee on top of the high wages.

This is something that Inter and Juventus would not be capable of, while Bayern Munich or others would also prefer to hold their fire until he becomes a free agent.

“I reported exclusively on May 7 speaking about a possibility of Donnarumma to Manchester City. Explaining that if Ederson leaves, Manchester City would have made an offer,” continued Pedullà.

“Up until a few days ago everyone said that Manchester City would never have made an offer for Donnarumma, having signed another goalkeeper. It doesn’t seem like that to me.

“I think that if Ederson goes to Galatasaray, as I think he could, then Manchester City will look to sign Donnarumma because Pep Guardiola is a big admirer of Donnarumma.

Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024 (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

“He already tried, he already looked into it and it isn’t that if you have another goalkeeper, you don’t snap up Donnarumma. If you don’t sign Donnarumma, you risk that someone else signs him in a couple of months.

“Let me give you an example, if Donnarumma’s contract expires, there is always the possibility that Bayern Munich, who need to replace (Manuel) Neuer given this is probably his last year, or that some Italian club who won’t spend on his transfer fee, could make him an offer of €10m salary to return to Italy.

“This is why Manchester City wants to do this deal now, in order to not risk losing him. We will see but there are important possibilities, because this thing will go to the wire.”