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What's the story?
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport via the Mail, Gianluigi Donnarumma could leave AC Milan in January with PSG and Real Madrid being the most likely destinations. His agent Mino Raiola claims that his current deal was made under "psychological pressure" in the summer, so it should be annulled. This is unlikely to happen, but it does make it clear that Donnarumma is unhappy which is what Raiola was probably aiming for.
In case you didn't know...
Donnarumma made his Serie A debut for the Milanese giants against Sassuolo at the age of 16. He has already amassed 84 league appearances in the two years since his debut. The likes of Donnarumma, Manuel Locatelli, among others, were supposed to herald a new generation of talent coming up from the academy to work alongside the transfers they were bringing in.
The heart of the matter
Milan's ambitious transfer spree hasn't brought the success they expected with Vincenzo Montella being the scapegoat for that. They are trying to salvage their season as they sit in seventh place in the table as well as being in the Europa League round of 32. Although, potential financial penalties loom on the horizon due to their transfer spending as well as how the club was bought.
Donnarumma was obviously convinced that Milan would be battling for one of the Champions League places, but that is increasingly looking unlikely. Therefore, he is intending to join a bigger club before the project falls apart.
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Author's take
He clearly has the talent to play for a top side in Europe and wants to play in the Champions League. The main question is whether he would betray the club that gave him his first chance in competitive football. He obviously has influence due to being seen as the gem of their talents from the academy, so him leaving in January could start an exodus.
It's likely that he will wait until the summer before leaving because he could attract more potential interest then. Real Madrid would definitely be in the hunt for a goalkeeper as they seek to replace Keylor Navas and PSG might be as well depending on how Kevin Trapp and Alphonse Areola perform.
Donnarumma currently has little leverage because Milan don't need money yet, but they may need it by the summer depending on how UEFA acts with FFP punishments. They also supposedly need European football in order to pay off the loans that were needed to finance the takeover.
Staying until the summer gives him the chance to potentially win some silverware because they are one of the strong teams left in the Europa League. It also means his reputation is affected less by the move because he won't be abandoning them when they need him most.
