Gianluigi Donnarumma’s move to Manchester City is one that could divide opinion among fans and pundits alike.
Joe Hart is a huge admirer of Donnarumma and coming from a goalkeeper who briefly worked with Pep Guardiola, the former City number one’s claim is worth its weight in gold.
However, some others disagree with the Manchester City legend.
One of them is PSG fan and journalist Julien Laurens, who believes Donnarumma is a questionable goalkeeper and may struggle in the Premier League.
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Richard Keys questions why Man City are signing Gianluigi Donnarumma
Last season, Gianluigi Donnarumma proved why he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world by arguably emerging as the standout performer in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
After playing alongside the 26-year-old, Mario Balotelli is a fan of Donnarumma as well.
However, Richard Keys does not understand why Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have made a move for Donnarumma, considering he is not known for being a ball-playing goalkeeper, much like Joe Hart.
“I don’t get the Donnarumma deal. The first thing Guardiola did at City was get rid of Joe Hart because he claimed Hart wasn’t good with his feet. Paris say the same about Donnarumma.”
Gianluigi Donnarumma stats compared to Alisson and David Raya
Ultimately, Donnarumma’s primary task at Manchester City will be to disprove his doubters like Richard Keys by showing that he is comfortable with the ball at his feet.
The Italian’s stats in comparison to Liverpool and Arsenal’s Alisson Becker and David Raya respectively sum up where he stands with two of City’s title rivals’ goalkeepers.
| STATS PER 90 | GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA | ALISSON BECKER | DAVID RAYA |
| TOUCHES | 29.97 | 37.39 | 38.59 |
| LAUNCH % | 18% | 23.5% | 32.4% |
| GOAL KICKS | 4.64 | 2.9 | 3.9 |
| AVG LENGTH OF GOAL KICKS | 32.3 | 35.9 | 47.9 |
The numbers show that Donnarumma is not as involved in his side’s build-up, with Alisson and Raya taking more touches while also not being as proficient at going long — with the average distance of his goal kicks also paling in comparison to his contemporaries.
As a result, whether the former AC Milan star ends up elevating this City side after Ederson’s move to Fenerbahce is the million-dollar question.
