Gianluigi Donnarumma, Paris Saint-Germain’s 25-year-old goalkeeper, was guilty of some striking (and penalizing) errors on Tuesday evening against Arsenal on Matchday 2 of the Champions League. According to L’Equipe, these latest blunders at the highest level are not only annoying fans, but also the club’s own staff. This Friday, the sports paper discusses the doubts surrounding the Italian. Matvey Safonov (25) and Arnau Tenas (23) could also have a chance.
“A question mark over the former Milan man”.
“Over the past few hours, amidst the debriefings and shortcomings that have been brought to light, “Gigio’s” performance has (re)raised questions internally about the former Milanese.
The recruitment of the ambitious Matvey Safonov this summer was aimed precisely at challenging the Nazionale keeper and putting him under pressure to get the best out of him.
Meanwhile, if talks of extending Donnarumma’s contract (he is under contract until June 2026) are slow to materialize, this also says something about the level of confidence placed in him.
“a possible turnover would not necessarily and systematically be Safonov.”
Luis Enrique has not verbalised when this might occur, but the Parisian coach is now tempted to bring the competition into play.
Interestingly, in the mind of the coach and his staff, the beneficiary of any turnover would not necessarily and systematically be Safonov. Luis Enrique believes he can rely on his three goalkeepers, whom he deems to form a homogeneous and complementary package. Tenas cannot therefore be left out of the equation.”
Of course, mistakes like this can raise doubts. Especially as it’s not the first time Donnarumma has made such a mistake in a match where PSG are eagerly awaited. The Champions League is unforgiving, and everything can turn on a dime. In recent years, the goalkeeper has failed to keep a tight grip on certain situations.
However, it should not be forgotten that he has also made some decisive saves at important moments. It’s not all bad news, but it’s about time he improved his aerial skills.
Perhaps a competitor could be given a chance, at least to encourage Donnarumma to redouble his efforts to overcome his weakness. However, Safonov and Tenas seem less capable of being decisive on the line at the moment.
Finally, let’s note that the newspaper’s argument on contract extension is very limited. Achraf Hakimi (25-year-old right-back) has also been rumoured to be close to a new signing for some time now, but has yet to materialize. In this case, a lack of confidence is not an option. Not to mention the fact that the goalkeeper’s agent has been quite enthusiastic recently.
