Paris (AFP)

Gianluigi Donnarumma, the hero of Italy in Paris!

PSG raised the temperature of a hot summer transfer window on Wednesday by recruiting for five seasons the Italian goalkeeper, fresh European champion at 22, a bet for the future that raises questions in the short term.

A sprawling wingspan (1.96 m), holder with AC Milan since he was 16 and a half, installed in the Nazionale with which he has just won the Euro by being elected best player ... " Donna "already displays the CV of a very great goalkeeper.

So, when his contract expired with the Lombard team, PSG jumped at the opportunity, even if the goalkeeper position seemed already armored with the excellent Keylor Navas (34).

"I know that Gianluigi will receive a warm welcome from everyone at the club, including his teammates, our staff and all Parisian supporters," said Parisian President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, quoted in a statement. .

As for the newcomer, he said he was "ready to take up this new challenge, and continue to grow here".

As for Georginio Wijnaldum, who arrived free from Liverpool, or Sergio Ramos, at the end of his contract at Real Madrid, Donnarumma comes to strengthen a workforce tailored to win the Champions League, without the club having to pay transfer fees. .

- Monster of precocity -

On the salary side, the Italian press mentions emoluments between 8 and 12 million euros per season, which would make the Italian one of the best paid players in the workforce.

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For Paris, this is the price to pay to ensure the presence of a long-term international goalkeeper, and thus avoid a debate that rotted the beginning of the QSI years.

Between Salvatore Sirigu, Kevin Trapp, Alphonse Areola and Gianluigi Buffon, the balls of his keepers have long cost the enormous Parisian ambitions dear.

Donnarumma, he seems to have the gloves sure.

This precocious monster, who made his professional debut in October 2015, has better lap times than his illustrious elder, Buffon, whom he succeeded in the Azzurri in 2018.

The native of Castellammare di Stabia, near Napoli, now has more than 200 Serie A matches and more than 25 caps, two bars that the Tuscan crossed at 24.

Certainly, "Gigio" has never played in the Champions League.

But his excellent run at the Euro, with several decisive stops in the final won on penalties against England, plead in his favor.

A dispute over the salary claims of Donnarumma, advised by the influential and greedy agent Mino Raiola, ended up making him leave AC Milan, where the French Mike Maignan replaced him.

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The atmosphere was not at best with the supporters either.

As early as 2017, they accused him of the nickname "Dollarumma", throwing him counterfeit banknotes behind his cage ...

In Paris, money is less of a problem, especially when President Al-Khelaïfi announces, in L'Equipe, a transfer window "more active than the previous ones".

- Blur on the hierarchy -

The club remains on a difficult season, marked by the loss of the title of champion of France, in favor of Lille.

One of the rare positive points concerns his semi-final of C1, lost against Manchester City, at the end of a course which saw Navas shine in the goals.

The Costa Rican, triple winner of the C1 with Real, even extended his lease in the capital until 2024, at the end of April, proof that the leaders were convinced by his services.

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But the arrival of Donnarumma relaunches the debate on the identity of the goalkeeper N.1 at PSG, the cohabitation between the two internationals recalling that between Areola and Buffon, in 2018-2019, which turned out badly for both.

The first named, moreover, is still under contract with PSG, as is the understudy Sergio Rico, the experienced Alexandre Letellier who recently extended until 2022, and the young people Marcin Bulka and Garissone Innocent, loaned last season. .

Sporting director Leonardo, who rubbed shoulders with Donnarumma when he held this post at AC Milan between 2018 and 2019, still has work ahead of him.

The soap opera has only just begun, and its plot clings to the other, endless, which has animated the capital for months: the extension of Kylian Mbappé.

At the end of his contract in 2022, the star striker conditioned his signature on the arrival of top-flight recruits.

With Wijnaldum, Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and Donnarumma, he's served ... but Paris may not have said its last word.

© 2021 AFP