Chelsea are continuing to explore a bold move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, a report has claimed, with talks over the Italian’s future with the Champions League winners making little progress.
The Blues made no secret of their interest in signing a new goalkeeper earlier this summer when they failed with a move for AC Milan’s Mike Maignan. Enzo Maresca publicly put his faith in current starter Robert Sánchez, as well as back-up Filip Jörgensen, during the triumphant run at the Club World Cup.
The move for Maignan was believed to be more a case of attempting to take advantage of his expiring contract, rather than a desperate desire to bolster between the sticks, and L’Équipe state something similar is happening with Donnarumma.
The 26-year-old is in the final year of his current contract and it keen to remain with PSG, but there are still some significant obstacles when it comes to negotiations over an extension. Donnarumma is said to be the last remaining player in the squad on a contract agreed before Luis Campos’s arrival, which brought around a drastic change in pay structure.
Campos has secured players to incentivised contracts—as is the case at Chelsea—while Donnarumma’s existing terms include a significant, guaranteed weekly wage. PSG’s efforts to convince their goalkeeper to buy into the current structure have so far proven fruitless.
That impasse appears to have sparked the interest of Chelsea, who are mentioned in a handful of reports from the same outlet as a strong suitor.
PSG, for their part, are not expected to try and part ways with Donnarumma over the situation as it stands, but the Ligue 1 giants are believed to be chasing Lille’s Lucas Chevalier, whose arrival at Parc des Princes could ultimately push Donnarumma through the exit door.
Just how feasible a move to Chelsea would be remains to be seen. Like PSG, the Blues would almost certaintly expect Donnarumma to agree to reduce his current earnings to seal a move to Stamford Bridge.
There is also the matter of Donnarumma’s conduct when these two sides met in the Club World Cup final. He was at the heart of a post-match scuffle which saw PSG boss Luis Enrique strike Chelsea’s João Pedro in the face. Tensions may need to be smoothed over before either party can even entertain the idea of a transfer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea ‘Exploring Move’ for PSG Contract Rebel.