Club chief denied Man Utd target Gianluigi Donnarumma's cheeky £1m demand claim

Manchester United and Manchester City are set to go head-to-head in the transfer market for Paris Saint-Germain's unsettled goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian has confirmed his intention to leave the French capital this summer after being sidelined.

Donnarumma was a key player for PSG as they clinched the Champions League title last season, but following the arrival of French international Lucas Chevalier, his time in Paris appears to be coming to an end. Both halves of Manchester, red and sky blue, are reportedly interested. Ruben Amorim's squad is in desperate need of a top-notch goalkeeper, with Altay Bayindir's weaknesses laid bare in their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal and Andre Onana making numerous errors last season. Meanwhile, City seemed to have found their future No. 1 this summer in James Trafford, who they re-signed from Burnley this summer. However, with Ederson rumoured to be of interest to Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray, Pep Guardiola remains keen on bringing in the 26-year-old Italian.

Donnarumma's next destination remains uncertain, but he has been involved in contentious transfer negotiations before, notably in 2017 when he re-signed with his childhood club AC Milan amidst rumours of a clause involving his brother. Back in 2017, a teenage Donnarumma had already become AC Milan's first-choice goalkeeper and was regarded as one of Europe's most promising talents.

With his contract due to expire, he seemed set to move on, with Juventus and Real Madrid poised to swoop, but a dramatic change of heart occurred. Despite his agent, the late Mino Raiola, declaring he would not extend his stay at the San Siro, Donnarumma eventually committed to a fresh contract running until 2021, which reportedly contained some fascinating stipulations.

Reports emerged suggesting as part of this renewed agreement, Donnarumma's elder brother, Antonio, 27, who was also a goalkeeper plying his trade for Asteras Tripolis, would need to be recruited by the Rossoneri. This £1m deal was finalised merely one day following the younger sibling's contract extension.

Antonio received approximately £850,000 per year, which was six times lower than his younger brother's wages. Nevertheless, AC Milan's sporting director, Massimiliano Mirabelli, grabbed headlines by dismissing claims any such clause existed within Donnarumma's fresh terms.

In 2017, he admitted: "The first thing we had to do was to renew Gigio's contract, but I immediately had the idea of bringing in his brother Antonio too. The technical evaluation comes first and I think Antonio can be a 12th man for Milan.

"He is not a postage parcel like someone said. I'm sorry for him if certain things have been written. Vincenzo Montella [former AC Milan manager] also endorsed this signing. I know him well and I wanted to bring the family back together. I'm proud to present the Donnarumma pair."

Antonio, who had come through AC Milan's youth system before departing for Genoa, sparked fury amongst certain supporters upon his return. Nevertheless, he issued a heartfelt statement eight years ago following a transfer shrouded in conflicting reports and mystery. "I will be in the dressing room with my brother, which makes me very happy. It is a beautiful thing to be back at Milan," confessed Antonio, who currently turns out for Serie C outfit Salernitana.

Following the expiry of his contract, Donnarumma departed for PSG in 2021 and now appears poised for a fresh start. His sibling Antonio also left Milan four years ago, joining Padova soon after his brother's departure, before eventually arriving at his present club via Torino.