PSG and Manchester United Enter Chase for Real Madrid’s €16M-Rated Backup Star

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has this final stretch of the 2023-24 season to cement himself as the No. 1 goalkeeper and let the club know they don’t need to look for one this summer.

After having a tough time in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, Donnarumma bounced back in the second leg. The upcoming semifinal tie against Borussia Dortmund, and potentially the final, will determine whether he’s PSG’s goalkeeper for the foreseeable future.

If the Italian doesn’t raise his game to the level that many expect, the Ligue 1 side could be in the market for a goalkeeper. According to journalist Eduardo Inda (h/t Fichajes), PSG are among two other teams keen on Andriy Lunin, who is under contract with Real Madrid until 2025.

The Ukrainian shot-stopper won’t be the starter next season when Thibaut Courtois returns from his injury. With minutes as a starter, Inda notes that PSG, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United could be in the mix for the 25-year-old. 

“There is a player whose contract ends next year, and the normal thing is that Madrid wants him to continue, but he is thinking of leaving this year or next year as a free agent if he is not a starter,” Inda said. He has three offers: one from PSG, but there is Donnarumma; another from Manchester United; and a third from Bayern Munich. I’m talking about Lunin. He’s a good goalkeeper, and he’s showing it.

“There the white club would surely do a great deal because the Ukrainian cost €8.5 million in the summer of 2018, and six years later Real Madrid could multiply what they paid three or four times.”

Inda doesn’t give the asking price Real Madrid would want but Transfermarkt puts Lunin’s transfer value at €16 million. Nonetheless, it seems that the cost could be higher with three prominent European clubs vying for the player.