MANCHESTER: Manchester City have signed Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain on a five-year contract, the Premier League club said on Tuesday, after agreeing to Ederson’s departure to Turkish club Fenerbahce.
Financial details were not disclosed but British media reported that City paid 30 million pounds ($40.5 million) for Donnarumma, who will wear the number 99 shirt, and agreed to sell Ederson for 12 million pounds.
“Gianluigi’s pedigree, quality and record speaks for itself, and we are all absolutely thrilled he has joined us here at City,” said City’s Director of Football Hugo Viana.
“He has accumulated a wealth of top-level experience and knows what is required to achieve success on a sustained level.”
Ederson’s departure to Turkish side Fenerbahce on a permanent transfer on Tuesday morning paved the way for Donnarumma’s signing.
British media reported that Ederson’s transfer fee was worth around 12 million pounds ($16.2 million).
The 26-year-old Donnarumma joined PSG from AC Milan in 2021 and was a key factor in their first Champions League triumph earlier this year as part of a treble, but then fell out of favour at the club.
Manager Luis Enrique dropped him from the UEFA Super Cup squad after the arrival of goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
Donnarumma was crucial in PSG’s Champions League triumph, saving penalties from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones to knock Liverpool out in a shootout in the last 16.
He kept a clean sheet in the 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the final in May.
The following month, the Italian helped PSG reach the 2025 Club World Cup final, where they were defeated 3-0 by Chelsea.
The day after Donnarumma was left out of the Super Cup squad, the Italian announced he would leave the club, saying he was “disappointed and disheartened” by the decision to freeze him out.
“I am joining a squad packed with world-class talent and a team led by one of the greatest managers in the history of football in Pep Guardiola.
This is a club every player in world football would love to join,“ Donnarumma said in a statement.
“I have admired watching Manchester City for many years - so to now be able to play for the Club is a huge honour and a privilege. Playing at the Etihad Stadium will be very, very special for me. I am very excited for what lies ahead.”
Donnarumma is also Italy’s captain and earned Player of the Tournament at Euro 2020 – a first for a goalkeeper – after their shootout victory over England in the final.
There has been debate from pundits about Donnarumma’s distribution and how well he will fit with Guardiola’s tactics that require a ball-playing keeper.
But former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart told BBC radio that the Italian “is more than capable with his feet”.
Brazilian Ederson had been City’s undisputed number one since joining from Benfica in 2017.
He won numerous trophies at the club, but was entering the final year of his contract. English keeper James Trafford, signed earlier in the window, has started all three of City’s Premier League games this season.
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