02-11-2021, 07:21 PM
While in the end the responsibility sits with Donnarumma, I think he – like many other players – is happy to just play football and let his agent deal with complex contract issues. And Di Marzio made a good point today about both Gigio and Hakan: If they wanted to leave, then at this point there wouldn't be any negotiations.
I also think that Raiola knows that Donnarumma is a Milan man and that he's unlikely to want to leave the club either now or in two years. I don't think this is about giving the player the opportunity to leave the club for free at a later time, it's about being able to secure him a bigger and better contract at Milan in two years, using the interest of other clubs as leverage. Right now nobody in football has much money to spend, including Milan (and we're actually doing fairly well compared to a lot of other clubs). But all the arrows are pointing in the right direction for us, from sponsorships to results on the pitch. Financially it's very likely that we're in a much better position in two years than we are right now. Raiola knows that, so he wants to secure a two-year deal for now and then renegotiate for an even higher salary in 2022-23.
So this is not the same situation as back when Donnarumma's current deal was negotiated. Back then the club was in disarray, with weak ownership and people in charge that Raiola (rightly, as it turned out) did not trust. In some ways he was right to be sceptical about signing his super talented young player up for a long deal at a club like that. Today Milan is a different club that's being run in a much more modern and sustainable way, progressing in every area. Raiola knows this and has even spoken well of the club recently. It's really just about the money.
In the end I don't see Gigio leaving. He is rossonero through and through, and exciting things are happening at Milan. Would he really give up the chance to win trophies at Milan and represent us in the CL? I highly doubt it.
As for Hakan, I actually think we're being a bit stingy. It's understandable, given the crisis in football right now, but he is irreplaceable for this team. I say just offer him the 5M he wants and get it over with. It might lead to other players asking for more money as well, but we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there.
I also think that Raiola knows that Donnarumma is a Milan man and that he's unlikely to want to leave the club either now or in two years. I don't think this is about giving the player the opportunity to leave the club for free at a later time, it's about being able to secure him a bigger and better contract at Milan in two years, using the interest of other clubs as leverage. Right now nobody in football has much money to spend, including Milan (and we're actually doing fairly well compared to a lot of other clubs). But all the arrows are pointing in the right direction for us, from sponsorships to results on the pitch. Financially it's very likely that we're in a much better position in two years than we are right now. Raiola knows that, so he wants to secure a two-year deal for now and then renegotiate for an even higher salary in 2022-23.
So this is not the same situation as back when Donnarumma's current deal was negotiated. Back then the club was in disarray, with weak ownership and people in charge that Raiola (rightly, as it turned out) did not trust. In some ways he was right to be sceptical about signing his super talented young player up for a long deal at a club like that. Today Milan is a different club that's being run in a much more modern and sustainable way, progressing in every area. Raiola knows this and has even spoken well of the club recently. It's really just about the money.
In the end I don't see Gigio leaving. He is rossonero through and through, and exciting things are happening at Milan. Would he really give up the chance to win trophies at Milan and represent us in the CL? I highly doubt it.
As for Hakan, I actually think we're being a bit stingy. It's understandable, given the crisis in football right now, but he is irreplaceable for this team. I say just offer him the 5M he wants and get it over with. It might lead to other players asking for more money as well, but we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there.