Donnarumma: ‘Manchester City a responsibility, Guardiola wanted me’

Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma feels the ‘responsibility’ of Manchester City and wants to repay Pep Guardiola for ‘wanting’ him at all costs.

The Azzurri captain made the move on transfer deadline day for circa €30m, as Paris Saint-Germain cut him loose after refusing to offer him a new contract with the same wages.

The cost of that move for a player down to the final months of his deal confirms his value on the market, just after a decisive role in winning the Coppa Campioni.

He had to wait until today to have his first full day at the Manchester City training ground, as he underwent his medical in Italy while on international duty.

Donnarumma begins Manchester City adventure

“I’m so excited, I’m very proud to be here at one of the best clubs in the world,” Donnarumma told the official club website.

“The fact that I was so wanted here made everything easier for me. I can’t wait to get started in a historic club, a club that wants to win, with a great history behind it.

“There is also a lot of responsibility, but I am really proud to be here, to help this club and continue to win together.”

Some of his best performances have been on English soil, whether for Italy in the victorious EURO 2020 campaign, or in the Coppa Campioni against Liverpool and Aston Villa, but it’ll be his Premier League debut.

“It’s the start of a new chapter for me, playing for Manchester City in the Premier League is really exciting. I’m ready for this challenge.

“I always dreamed one day of playing in the Premier League, as it is the best league in the world right now. I think for a player now, aspiring to the Premier League is asking the best of yourself. I can’t wait to get on the pitch and give everything for this club that wanted me so much. I hope to repay that faith.”

Donnarumma is hardly the first Italian to represent Manchester City, as he follows in the footsteps of figures including Roberto Mancini and Mario Balotelli.

“It’s a club that has always fascinated me. I’ve always followed it with pleasure. I see everything around me like the training centre and the stadium, they are fantastic.

“You can’t tell what the club quality is until you really see it with your own eyes. The buildings and the team here are fantastic. I am happy with my choice, I hope to make history here and win everything possible. That is my goal for the next few years.”

Guardiola was instrumental in the decision to sign Donnarumma, even though his style of playing out from the back has not always been exactly the Italian’s strength.

“I think his history speaks for itself. For me, to be wanted so much by coach Guardiola is a source of great pride. The emotion is indescribable, and I think being coached by him is the best thing for a player. I can’t wait to get on the pitch alongside him, to follow him, and I’m sure he will help me so much, both now and in the coming years.”

The language will not be a barrier, as Guardiola speaks fluent Italian from his playing years at Brescia and Roma in Serie A.

Manchester City had extraordinary success under Guardiola, but struggled last season.

“The important thing is to be united, to be a team, and from my first impressions here that isn’t an issue, because the team is wonderful.

“I have big objectives in mind, I want to win, to bring many more trophies to the club. I really want to make history with this club and win everything together,” continued Donnarumma.

His arrival was also unexpected because Manchester City had already spent big on James Trafford in goal.

“I’m glad, because competition is good for everyone. I can’t wait to get to know him and all my other teammates. We need to create a strong group that cares for each other, I think that is the most important thing for success,” added the Italian.

It’s easy to forget he is only 26 years old, as he made his Serie A debut for Milan aged 16, then moved to Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in 2021.

“They certainly helped me a lot in my development. I won a lot, had a lot of success, so I’ll always thank them for everything they gave me, but my mind is here now. My goal is to make history here and become a real symbol of this city and club.

“That is my biggest aim, to make the fans proud of me and give everything possible to the tifosi, so we can win many trophies together. It’s an historic club and deserves to be as high up as possible.”

Donnarumma is fresh from winning the Coppa Campioni with PSG, a tournament they had been chasing for many years.

“The Coppa Campioni is the greatest trophy that a player can aspire to at club level. It was an indescribable emotion to win it.

“We have the game against Napoli coming up, who are a very strong team, I know them well and have a lot of friends there. It will be complicated, but then they all are in the Coppa Campioni, so we have to take it one game at a time if we want to go all the way,” concluded Donnarumma.

“It is an objective to reach the Final, I won’t hide that, it would be a dream. Lifting the Coppa Campioni with City really would be a dream, but we must take it steady, work hard, and take it one game at a time. We have to work with humility.”