Gianluigi Donnarumma's agent makes shock Serie A transfer admission despite goalkeeper only just arriving at Man City

In a revelation that will likely raise eyebrows at the Etihad Stadium, the representative of Donnarumma has publicly flirted with the idea of the goalkeeper leaving City to return to Italy. The 26-year-old shot-stopper only completed his high-profile move from Paris Saint-Germain to the Premier League champions last summer, a transfer designed to cement City’s defensive dominance for the next decade. However, comments made by his agent suggest that Donnarumma is already harbouring a sense of nostalgia for his homeland.

Speaking in an interview with Italian broadcaster Rai, Raiola offered a candid assessment of Donnarumma’s first half-season in Manchester. While he was keen to stress that the goalkeeper is adapting well to the rigours of English football and is happy with the sporting project under Pep Guardiola, he could not resist leaving the door ajar for a future exit.

"Today at Manchester City he is finding serenity with the team and the environment, and he likes the project very much. He is also starting to understand the English championship," Raiola explained. "The other day he told me jokingly that playing five or six years there is an adventure, but it was a joke... However, if there is the opportunity to return to Italy, we will take it." 

The financial reality of such a move renders it almost impossible for Italian clubs in the current economic climate. Donnarumma’s move to City involved a financial package that places him among the pinnacle of the sport’s earners.

The breakdown of the deal concluded last summer illustrates the disparity between Premier League spending power and the rest of Europe. City paid a transfer fee of €35 million to PSG, but it is the player's personal terms that are truly eye-watering. Donnarumma signed a five-year deal running until June 30, 2030, which Calciomercato reports guarantees him approximately €80m in fixed wages alone over the duration of the contract.

His salary starts at a staggering €15m net per season and is set to rise incrementally, reaching €18m net for the 2029-30 campaign. Furthermore, the contract includes an option to extend until 2031, which would see his salary peak at €19m for that additional season. 

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Further complicating any potential exit strategy is the lucrative bonus structure City have woven into Donnarumma’s contract. The club has incentivised performance with a package of add-ons worth an additional €3m per season, designed to keep the Italian motivated across all competitions.

In essence, this is a "goal bonus" applied to a goalkeeper: keep the door shut, and the payment is guaranteed. This structure highlights how highly City value his contribution and how committed they are to retaining him as their number one. It also serves as another financial tether to Manchester; walking away from such a comprehensive package to return to Italy would require a tremendous financial sacrifice.

Despite the prohibitive costs, the mere suggestion of a return has reignited speculation involving Italy’s biggest clubs. Before City made their decisive move last summer, both Juventus and Inter had reportedly made inquiries about Donnarumma’s availability as his relationship with PSG fractured.

Inter, looking for a long-term heir between the sticks, and Juventus, who have historically coveted Italy’s number one goalkeeper, remain the most likely destinations should a move ever materialise. Raiola’s comments have effectively put these clubs on notice: the player is willing, even if the finances are currently forbidding.

While a January or even summer 2026 move seems widely optimistic, the seed has been planted. If City’s dominance wavers, or if Donnarumma decides that lifestyle outweighs his bank balance, the Italian giants will be waiting in the wings to bring the national hero home.