Share
20th September 2025
10:55am BST
It's no secret that Manchester United were very keen to sign a new elite level goalkeeper this summer.
Their pursuit of a new shotstopper began to seriously heat up as the new season began, following a string of poor performances by both Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana.
While Onana was something of a scapegoat for the Red Devils' poor showing last season, it only was following Man United's loss to Grimsby in the Carabao Cup this August that it became clear his time at Old Trafford was nearing its end.
The Cameroon international appeared especially vulnerable to set pieces throughout the encounter and appeared to be deliberately targeted by the fourth tier side.
18 + Be Gamble Aware
In the following weeks, Man United began to look at alternative goalkeeping options.
And before Amorim's side ultimately wrapped up a deal for Royal Antwerp's Senne Lammens, they had serious discussions with PSG over the potential signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Donnarumma is regarded as one of the finest in his position in the world and was an instrumental figure in PSG's Champions League success last season, notably making a series of unbelievable saves to deny Arsenal in the semi-finals of the competition.
Standing at 6′ 5, Donnarumma's height was seen as a particularly attractive characteristic, as a potential remedy to the Red Devils' weakness on set pieces.
Despite the 26-year-old's status, he was deemed surplus to requirements at PSG this summer when the French champions signed Lucas Chevalier from Lille.
According to a report in The Telegraph, Manchester United were offered the chance to sign Donnarumma at the very beginning of the transfer window, but ultimately opted out of the deal over the cost involved in securing the keeper's signature.
The Telegraph report that the source of Donnarumma's problems at PSG were over his wage demands, which the club deemed to be too expensive.
Those wage demands were what ultimately kept Donnarumma out of Man United's reach as well.
Alongside the £35 million transfer fee that Man United were quoted by PSG, the player and his representatives are said to have been demanding £17.4 million per year in wages.
That works out at £330,000 a week.
Over the course of a six-year deal, Donnarumma would have cost £130 million.
This is a rate that Man United simply could not afford.
In the end the Italian keeper signed for United's bitter rivals Man City instead, for £26 million.
It is not currently clear whether Man City agreed to pay Donnarumma's full wage demands when they eventually agreed a deal for him in the final weeks of the window.
18 + Be Gamble Aware
New keeper Lammens is yet to make his debut for the Red Devils, but fans may get the chance to see him in action later today when his side host Chelsea at Old Trafford.
An impressive smart watch that's been compared to Apple has been given a huge discount for a limited time.
The TRAUSI Smart Watch has been reduced by 82%, with its price dropping from £129.99 to just £20.99 on Amazon.
It features a range of functions, including Bluetooth calling, message notifications, heart rate/sleep monitoring, fitness tracking and timer capabilities, with 120 workout modes.
One review reads: "It looks just like an Apple Watch and works just like it. It can do all what an Apple Watch can do at a cheaper cost."
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it.
Explore more on these topics:
