The New Dawn of Gianluigi Donnarumma at Manchester City | OneFootball

In the final days of the 2025 summer transfer window, Manchester City announced the signing of arguably the absolute best goalkeeper in the world at present: Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Born in the Bay of Naples in February 1999, Donnarumma was drawn to the position of goalkeeper as a boy, and quickly excelled between the sticks at local side ASD Club Napoli, playing with the local outfit throughout his formative years before his evident capabilities led to the young Italian earning a move to Serie A giants AC Milan for a fee of €250,000 – despite being just 14 years of age.

The young Neapolitan soared through the Rossoneri’s youth system and, within two years and just months before his 17th birthday, Donnarumma was selected ahead of veteran Diego Lopez and retained his starting berth for the remainder of the campaign – and for the following six seasons at the San Siro.

Throughout his time in Milan, Gianluigi Donnarumma forged a reputation as one of Europe’s premier shot-stoppers whilst also supplanting his boyhood idol, Gianluigi Buffon as the Azzurri’s first-choice goalkeeper. Having cemented a starting position for his nation, international glory soon followed as his penalty heroics denied England European Championship glory in 2021, as Roberto Mancini’s Italy side bested the Three Lions at Wembley.

In that same year, Donnarumma earned a plethora of individual awards, including Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year and the prestigious Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, whilst also earning a summer move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain on a controversial free transfer.

In the French capital, Donnarumma again thrived as he collected four Ligue 1 titles in as many years, along with playing a pivotal role in the Parisian club earning their maiden Champions League trophy, with his breathtaking performances against Liverpool and Arsenal in the knock-out stages proving pivotal in his side’s progression through the tournament.

Months later, amid a reported fall out with the PSG hierarchy, Donnarumma was shockingly excluded from Luis Enrique’s UEFA Super Cup squad, a move that signalled the beginning for the end for the Italian’s time with the newly-crowned European champions – although the identity of his next club was initially far from clear.

Throughout the summer of 2025, Manchester City’s squad was in somewhat of a transitional stage, as veterans and club icons such as Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Kyle Walker each departed the club permanently, whilst other key members of the side in recent years, such as Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji, were moved on seemingly for the foreseeable future.

However, whilst many outfield players were acquired to fill these gaps and to refresh the side, namely Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, it was also apparent that the club’s goalkeeping situation required addressing.

For the best part of a decade, Brazilian international Ederson has been ever-present and excellent throughout Pep Guardiola’s glorious reign in Manchester. Almost immediately following his arrival from Benfica in 2018, Ederson catalysed the perception of modern goalkeeping with a combination of shrewd shot-stopping and ball-playing brilliance, and this latter quality formed the foundation of City’s dominance under Guardiola.

Having lifted six Premier League titles – a record for a goalkeeper – Ederson’s immense contributions to City’s recent success should never be understated. However, it had become glaringly apparent throughout the 2024/25 campaign that Ederson was perhaps no longer the world-class player he once was, and had become a concern that needed resolving.

In view of replacing a club legend, it initially appeared as though the club had identified an immediate successor in City academy graduate and Burnley stalwart James Trafford – an accomplished young ‘keeper with great potential and also a familiarity with City’s system. However, Ederson’s eagerness to leave combined with the unexpected availability of one of world’s best led to a previously unprecedented situation materialising.

On the final day of the 2025 summer transfer window, and following weeks of speculation, Manchester City officially announced the signing of the acclaimed Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Ostensibly a more traditional goalkeeper than Ederson that may lack his predecessor’s more educated feet but possesses far superior shot-stopping prowess, the club’s acquisition of the domineering Italian represents a genuine coup and also perhaps an adjustment in strategy both on and off the pitch.

Widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet, the option to sign a player with the experience, young age and sheer calibre of Gianluigi Donnarumma in the prime of his career was somewhat of a no-brainer, and an opportunity the City hierarchy jumped.

Days after his first training session with his new side, Donnarumma was thrust into action as he was named in the starting XI in September’s Manchester derby. The 26-year-old performed heroically on his debut, providing a strong sense of security throughout and also registering a well-earned clean sheet, thanks in large part to a phenomenal save to deny Bryan Mbeumo a superb 61st-minute effort that would have brought United back into the game.

The former AC Milan and PSG star wowed on his first appearance for the club and followed that up with a consecutive clean sheet just days later in a Champions League victory over his hometown team Napoli.

Having made an immediate positive impact, many doubters were quickly silenced, and the reported £26 million fee that the club parted with to secure the services of Donnarumma already appears to be money very well spent.

Yet whilst Donnarumma’s goal-tending prowess is almost undeniable, one key aspect of the Italian’s skillset that has been touted as a weakness is his ball-playing ability – a fair concern given who he is replacing.

Yet whilst nobody is going to pretend that he is as accomplished as Ederson with the ball at his feet, this narrative has been significantly overstated by many onlookers in recent weeks, and it should be noted that it is already apparent that the positives of Donnarumma replacing Ederson markedly outweigh any perceived negatives.

Aside from the Italian’s excellent shot-stopping ability, the two-time Yashin Trophy winner brings more than this; he provides leadership, and he brings presence. Regarded by many onlookers, and as noted by Nico O’Reilly following City’s recent defeat of Napoli, Donnarumma brings an authoritative presence, an infectious confidence and a desire to succeed, and is observably similar in this respect to the likes of Erling Haaland, Rodri, and Ruben Dias.

Despite having played a mere three games for Pep Guardiola’s side, Donnarumma has immediately impacted his new team, having introduced a comforting feeling of expertise, safety and reliability that has long been lacking within the City back line – a factor that could be vital to any future success that the club may see in the years to come.A new era is underway at Manchester City, the future is Gianluigi Donnarumma, and the future is now.