Peter Schmeichel reveals Gianluigi Donnarumma reply to Man Utd transfer after Man City win | Football
Peter Schmeichel has revealed that he attempted to persuade Gianluigi Donnarumma to join Manchester United after their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.
A first-half header from Phil Foden, plus a double from Erling Haaland after the break sealed a comfortable win for Pep Guardiola’s side in the first Manchester derby of the season at the Etihad Stadium.
Donnarumma, meanwhile, was handed his debut for City following his £26 million move from Paris Saint-Germain on the final day of the summer transfer window.
The Italy international registered an impressive performance for City as he offered a commanding presence in the box and produced a superb save to deny Bryan Mbeumo in the second half.
Schmeichel, who was working as a pundit for the game at the Etihad Stadium, approached Donnarumma on the touchline after the match and asked the 26-year-old why he opted to join City instead.
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‘Donnarumma plays his first game and all the time he’s doing that, talking to them, so they’ve brought in more leadership,’ Schmeichel told Premier League Productions.
‘I’ve followed them [PSG] in the Champions League and I’ve spoken to him a lot of times, he speaks English by the way.
‘I only managed to persuade him to come into an interview one time, we headed back to the studio, I asked my first question and he started to answer in Italian, and I had no clue!
‘Over the last season I kept saying to him, ‘we want you at Man United’, and he said, ‘I’d love to come to England’.
Metro at the Match: Man City 3-0 Man Utd
Metro at the Match returns to bring you all the analysis from the biggest games of the season.
Here are our team’s key takeaways from Manchester City’s dominant 3-0 win over Manchester United at the Etihad.
There were mistakes, but this was not an entirely abject performance from Manchester United and, as Bernardo Silva noted at half-time, they appear to have improved on last season. That has to be a good thing, but it may be a bleak realisation for Red Devils fans that even an improved United are still a long, long way behind a City not even at their peak. – Phil Haigh, sports reporter.
I just do not understand Amorim’s system. If you’re playing with wing-backs you have to use the width and it seems like he consistently instructs his centre-backs and goalkeeper to pass into the centre. It just makes no sense. – Alex Moneypenny
Altay Bayindir needs replacing quickly. He looks suspect with the ball at his feet, left a lot of the goal gaping for Foden to head home the opener and does not inspire any confidence. Clearly not a top level goalkeeper, but is unproven new signing Senne Lammens the answer? – Phil Haigh, sports reporter.
I thought Jeremy Doku had a fantastic game, his feet, his close control is excellent. Drifting into pockets and getting two assists. – Alex Moneypenny
While Bayindir struggles to convince at one end, Gianluigi Donnarumma quickly made his presence felt at the other. The giant Italian may not have loads to do in an average Manchester City game, but will need to be alert when called upon. That’s what happened here, pulling off a stunning save from a Bryan Mbeumo volley in the second half. Another world class addition to the City squad. – Phil Haigh, sports reporter.
When the presenter joked that he had failed his audition as an agent, Schmeichel replied: ‘I did.
‘So I went to him, ‘what are you doing here, you should be in the other goal [for United]’, but he said, ‘I’m very, very happy here’. He showed it, he gave it to the team today, didn’t he.’
Guardiola was also full of praise for Donnarumma and claims the reaction from his City teammates shows after the save to deny Mbeumo shows the harmony in the squad.
‘He played really good. You know in the corners… it’s dangerous and especially in the save that everyone remember with Mbeumo,’ Guardiola said.
‘I like the save and after the reaction from Josko, from Ruben, from Rodri, going there [to him]. Every player wants to be loved, all of us want to be loved and when a team share the good emotions together, there are many good moments and bad moments, they start to be a good team and that is what they have to create.
‘Create [a situation] that everybody is allowed to do bad actions, his mates will be there supporting and the good ones be grateful for the good action they have done and when this happens, it’s the only step I knew after tactics come later, later, later. But we know we brought a player with incredible experience.
‘With the national team, his performances were massive and last season with PSG. He was happy in Paris. He told me that. But the moment he was on the market he was happy to come to Premier League, to enjoy this new adventure.’
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Peter Schmeichel reveals Gianluigi Donnarumma reply to Man Utd transfer after Man City win | Football
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