Gianluigi Donnarumma has admitted he would have preferred to remain at Paris Saint-Germain before his surprise move to Manchester City earlier this month. Speaking to AFP on Monday after being named the world’s best goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or awards, the 26-year-old said leaving Paris was not easy.
“When you have shared a lot with people and spent a lot of time and made friends, it’s difficult to leave,” Donnarumma reflected. Despite his preference to stay, PSG sanctioned his departure following the arrival of French goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
The Italian international, who lifted the Champions League with PSG last season, joined City in a £26 million ($35 million) deal and signed a five-year contract under Pep Guardiola. He praised the Premier League champions, describing them as “an extraordinary club with extraordinary players” who welcomed him “like a family.”
Donnarumma also collected the prestigious Yashin Trophy for a second time, having first won it in 2021 after Italy’s European Championship triumph. In his acceptance speech, he credited his PSG teammates for their role in his outstanding season: “Without them I wouldn’t be here—it was the whole team.”
