{"id":589806,"date":"2021-04-26T12:24:29","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T16:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=589806"},"modified":"2021-04-26T12:24:29","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T16:24:29","slug":"mike-maignan-replacement-gianluigi-donnarumma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2021\/04\/26\/mike-maignan-replacement-gianluigi-donnarumma\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Maignan the Most Likely Replacement for Gianluigi Donnarumma"},"content":{"rendered":"

Italian outlet\u00a0Calcio Mercato<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0chief reporter Patrick Berger<\/a> of German outlet\u00a0Sport1<\/em> are reporting that Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan<\/a> is AC Milan<\/a>‘s most likely replacement for Gianluigi Donnarumma, <\/a>should the Italian starlet depart after the season.<\/p>\n

Donnarumma’s contract ends this summer, and he has yet to agree on a renewal<\/a>. Negotiations have been going through, but it seems as if the Rossoneri\u00a0<\/em>are planning ahead in case of a departure.<\/p>\n

Mike Maignan the Most Likely Replacement for AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma<\/h2>\n

The Contract Dispute<\/h3>\n

Donnarumma is not only one of the best goalkeepers in Italy, but one of the best in the world. He’s also just 22-years-old, meaning he has plenty of time left at his current level, or even better.<\/p>\n

He’s been starting for Milan since he was 16. It’s rare to have a 22-year-old with six years of experience, but it explains why Donnarumma is so far ahead of the rest of the goalkeepers in his age range.<\/p>\n

According to the same reports, Milan are now offering Donnarumma \u20ac8 million per year on his new contract. Mino Raiola<\/a>, Donnarumma’s agent, is notorious for looking for the highest salaries possible for his clients. This comes as no surprise, as his clients include some of football’s biggest stars in Paul Pogba<\/a>, Erling Haaland<\/a>, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic<\/a>. Ibrahimovic, however, recently extended his contract with Milan so Donnarumma’s extension isn’t completely out of the air.<\/p>\n

Milan is Donnarumma’s boyhood club, and they’re on the path for their first Champions League qualification since he became a first-team player. One would think he would want to be a part of this, but at the same time, a player of his level has earned a top payday.<\/p>\n

Mike Maignan: The Deal and His Quality<\/h3>\n

The reports mention that Milan have a deal with Lille for \u20ac18 million for Maignan’s transfer. Maignan will also get paid a net salary of \u20ac3 million per year. Obviously, this deal saves Milan money compared to the Donnarumma deal. Milan’s squad needs some fixes all-around, so this may make sense if they choose to build the best squad possible with Champions League looking likely.<\/p>\n

Maignan is also a terrific goalkeeper. Lille are currently in first place in Ligue 1, leading Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> by one point with four matches to go. Also, Lille have allowed the least amount of goals in Ligue 1 with just 22 in 34 matches. Maignan, of course, has a lot to do with this. He has 18 clean sheets in the league, meaning he keeps a clean sheet in more than half of his games. Maignan did have a tough time in the Europa League, however, allowing 12 goals in eight matches.<\/p>\n

He’s still proving to be one of the top goalkeepers in France. He’s also 25-years-old, so he doesn’t change up Milan’s focus on youth either.<\/p>\n

Milan would likely prefer to keep their gem and homegrown product in Donnarumma, but Maignan is one of the best possible replacements on the market.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>