Milan are prepared to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma

If you - as a Milan fan - are worried about the potential departure of Gigio Donnarumma, don’t be. Why? Because Milan certainly aren’t.

Clubs across Europe are chasing Gianluigi Donnarumma - and that would mean that Donnarumma, a life long Milan fan and his agent, the infamous Mino Raiola, would usually hold all the ground in a negotiation. Donnarumma is arguably the best player on the team, and certainly one of the better keepers in the world at his young age. However, it seems like Milan have a lot of ground on the negotiation - especially with the ultimatums they are dropping towards Donnarumma and Raiola.

Marco Fassone said that Donnarumma was a ‘stud’ and told La Gazzetta dello Sport that the young keeper was a foundation of the team. Those words aren’t just for the media though - according to Fassone, he has been telling that to Gigio for over a month. However, they can’t wait much longer for Gigio to make a choice - because if he doesn’t sign a contract this summer, he needs to be sold so Milan can redeem a fee for him before his contract expires next summer.

Gigio’s delay is understandable - for one, his agent Mino Raiola will always seek the best deal for his client, and himself. Mino always succeeds as well, so if Milan don’t stump up the contract needed, he will head to Juventus, Madrid, Paris and Manchester seeking a better contract. As for Gigio, he might be a huge Milan supporter - but he needs a good contract, he’s earned it. One has to remember that a footballer’s career could end at any moment, so Gigio is likely ensuring good money to help secure his future.

However, despite all of this - Milan and Fassone still, somehow, have the upper hand in all of this. Fassone is prepared to ensure that Donnarumma is benched for Milan’s first season back in Europe and sees out his contract from the stands of the San Siro if Gigio refuses to sign a deal with Milan. What’s more, Milan could have another goalkeeping gem with Alessandro Plizzari waiting in the wings. If that’s not enough, they could seek to hire experience at the back - Iker Casillas and a number of other goalkeepers are on the market this summer.

Milan don’t usually make the best out of the situations they find themselves in - and while some might worry about Fassone’s benching threat - Donnarumma isn’t bigger than Milan and for once, Milan might be strong when they need to be.