By the time the Premier League season starts on August 15, it will only have been 33 days since the end of the club World Cup final in the United States. Effective only one month from the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Some players have hardly had any time to take a summer vacation before being pushed back into the hardships of another debilitating season. One that will end with another tournament in the United States – the World Cup 2026.
Only a month between CWC and a new season
Nowadays there is really no rest for the elite players, so some teams that were not eligible for the CWC, such as Barcelona, could afterwards consider that a solution.
Come the business end of the 2025/25 campaign, the Blaugranes must notice that they are much fresher than some of their opponents.
A player who was in the newly renewed CWC until the last minute of the last game was a gigantic PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Gianluigi Donnarummas statistics versus Real Madrid in the Club World Cupopta by StatsPerform
Although the Italian eventually ended up on the losing side, he can still be satisfied with his general contribution during the tournament.
The wheel of course runs quickly in football, and never before was that competition finished than the small issue of the contractor's contract was in the front and in the middle.
Donnarumma does not sign a new PSG contract
That is because at the end of the coming campaign Donnarumma no longer has a contract and apparently refused all offers of a new one with the Parisiens, because it is understood that they want him to take a wage reduction on his reported € 244,808 a week's salary.
As a result, it seems that Manchester United is investigating the option to bring the Italian on board Old Trafford.
Although they don't have any European football to offer the keeper, it is clear that manager Ruben Amorim Andre Onana really does not judge and is actively looking for a replacement.
One of the issues that every deal could block before the negotiations become more serious is that the Cameroonian is only £ 120,000 a week with the Red Devils, and if Donnarumma Baulking is to take a wage reduction of more than £ 100,000 p/w more than that, there is a clear roadblock straight ahead.
Andre Onana's Pascard in the Premier League (2024/25) OPTA by StatesPerform
Assuming that the first questions are beneficial with a willingness of all parties to try by navigating the Mijnenveld to build a deal, Amorim will have to be convincingly best to have Donnarumma even consider Old Trafford as his next destination as his next destination.
Long thought as one of the best keepers in the world, the Italian made 56 Saves in the domestic competitions in France in 2024/25, with a healthy savings percentage of 66.2% in Ligue 1 and 100% in the trophy of the French champions.
Perhaps surprisingly, Onana had a slightly higher savings percentage of 66.9%, and given that he made 90 saves in the Premier League alone, that is an impressive statistics compared to his potential replacement.
Accuracy the key
Only five punches of the PSG man are much less than the 13 from Onana, who also dropped the ball on two other occasions.
Both keepers have an identical 100% record when it comes to keeper Swepsings, although it is again the man United -who can claim the honor with 10 perfectly executed, two more than Donnarumma.
Gianluigi Donnarummas Touch Map in Ligue 1 (2024/25) Opta by StatesPerform
A big difference can be seen in terms of the admitted goals, and given PSG to another competition title, while the Red Devils got away in the lower half of the English top flight, that is not a real surprise. Onana's 44 admitted is therefore much more than the 25 of Donnarumma.
Successful target kicks may not be, at first glance, something that supporters think a lot about, but when someone is of the opinion that an accurate kick out can often be the catalyst for goals, the completion of the same is vital.
There is no match here, because the Italian has successfully delivered an amazing 78 of 92 goals. Onana only succeeded 74 of 150.
Lack of trust and errors damage Onana pain
Undoubtedly, the other compelling issues that will probably see the current United Keeper at the earliest opportunity dumped his preference for making striking mistakes and the lack of confidence that he gives to what a brittle Red Devils are back line.
The presence of Donnarumma is clear because of his size, but it is the trust with which he claims, gathered shots and staring opponents in one-on-one who elevates him above his contemporaries.
If United's interest has arrived too late to get what a difficult deal will be over the line, Amorim is then left to choose between Onana and Altay Bayindir for the sweater.
In a World Cup year, the latter may want to leave the theater of dreams to fulfill his fate to represent his country (Turkey) in the tournament next summer – and that could give United a real headache.
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