AC Milan are in the midst of a major saga – the ongoing contract extension talks with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. His contract is set to expire in three months, and there has yet to be much progress made.
This all comes down to wages. Donnarumma is arguably the top goalkeeper in Serie A, and the best to play for Milan since Dida. He is crucial to Milan’s current project, but at the same time, he deserves top wages. With this being said, Milan are keeping tabs on alternative options, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
AC Milan Keeping Tabs on Goalkeepers Amid Gianluigi Donnarumma Saga
Serie A Options
The domestic options that Milan are monitoring include Pierluigi Gollini of Atalanta, Alex Meret of Napoli and Juan Musso of Udinese.
Gollini is relatively young for a goalkeeper at 26-years-old. This season, he’s conceded 16 goals in 16 appearances, but kept six clean sheets. Atalanta are a full-on attacking team, but Gollini plays an important role in their defence. Milan are an attractive option for the Italian, but Atalanta may not be convinced to sell. They’re en route to another Champions League appearance.
Meret is an intriguing option. Just a couple of seasons ago, he was talked about as Italy’s top prospect alongside Donnarumma. Things have not been panning out that way. He has four clean sheets in 12 appearances but has conceded 17 goals in those appearances. Meret is still developing, but he’s not an ideal option.
Musso is difficult to judge. He’s very talented, but in a poor team, and the stats indicate this. He has conceded 31 goals in 26 appearances this season. He does, however, have eight clean sheets. Musso is certainly a player where his true worth is with a top team. Also, he looks to be the future starting goalkeeper for the Argentina national team.
A French and Croatian Option
Milan are also keeping an eye on Mike Maignan from Lille. Milan have a good relationship with the French club, with both participating in mutually beneficial transfers the last couple of seasons. The 25-year-old has kept an astounding 16 clean sheets in 30 matches. There’s a case for him to be the top goalkeeper in Ligue 1.
According to France Football, however, Milan may have stiff competition from Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund. Maignan stands above all as the best option for the Rossoneri in case of a Donnarumma departure.
The other non-Serie A option for Milan is Dominik Livakovic of Dinamo Zagreb. He’s certainly more difficult to judge, playing outside of one of Europe’s top leagues. With that being said, Livakovic has played well this season. He has ten clean sheets in 22 league appearances as well as six clean sheets in nine Europa League appearances. He’s also the starting goalkeeper for the Croatian national team, indicating his status as a winner.
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