The reason behind why Manchester United did not submit a bid to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma has come to light.
Manchester United were interested in signing Donnarumma, who ended up becoming a Manchester City player and kept a clean sheet as the hosts won 3-0 and earned the bragging rights after winning the Manchester Derby.
The former Paris Saint-Germain number one, who is widely considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, was on the market as he had just one year left on his contract.
Pep Guardiola has admired Donnarumma for years and City jumped at the chance of landing the Italian in the summer, who has replaced now-Fenerbahce star Ederson.
Fabrizio Romano broke down the reason behind Manchester United’s failure to sign the 26-year-old.
Man United did not submit Gianluigi Donnarumma bid due to his wages
Romano claimed that Manchester United got in touch with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s agent in July and considered the prospect of signing him.
However, the Italian journalist revealed that United chose not to submit a bid to secure the goalkeeper’s services.
On his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano mentioned that the reason why Manchester United did not seal Donnarumma’s signing was due to his wages, prompting Manchester City to win the race for his signature.
“Man United considered the possibility, [there] was a call with the agents of Donnarumma in July to understand the situation. But never a negotiation, never an official bid, never anything concrete.”
“Man United believe that despite the transfer fee, €30 million (£25.9 million) plus add-ons to reach €30 million (£30.2 million), this is what Manchester City paid to Paris Saint-Germain for Gigio Donnarumma, so for sure, not big money but don’t forget that the player was obviously out of contract in the summer of 2026, otherwise he was going to cost way more than this.”
“Man United didn’t want to spend big money on a salary because of the Financial Fair Play situation, because of the salary structure that he has, because of what they’re doing with the salaries internally at the club.”
Gianluigi Donnarumma’s wages at Manchester City
Ultimately, Manchester United’s loss has been Manchester City’s gain as Donnarumma is a far more established goalkeeper than Lammens.
As per Football Italia, the Champions League winner is set to bank €15 million (£12.9 million) in wages in his first year at the Etihad Stadium.
| GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA’S WAGES AT MAN CITY | WEEKLY | ANNUALLY |
| 2025 | £248K | £12.9M |
| 2026 AND 2027 | £265K | £13.8M |
| 2028 AND 2029 | £282K | £14.7M |
In his second and third at City, Donnarumma is expected to earn €16 million (£13.8 million).
Finally, in the last two years of his contract at Manchester City, the goalkeeper could take home €17 million (£14.7 million) and there is an option to extend the deal for one more year.
