Donnarumma is Pep's bold deal

With the ever-changing game of football, Pep Guardiola now seems to prioritise the goalkeeper's shot-stopping ability over distributing the ball with his feet.

At 26, Donnarumma is still one of the world's top goalkeepers.

The signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma and the sale of Ederson suggest a change in City's priorities when it comes to goalkeepers. Previously, Guardiola demanded that his goalkeepers be excellent distributors, but this move suggests he is willing to adjust his principles. Improving the defence now appears to be the top priority.

Change

Manchester City's season did not start smoothly. After easily winning 4-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the opening round, coach Pep Guardiola's team lost two consecutive matches against Tottenham and Brighton, falling into crisis.

In both defeats, James Trafford, who started, was unimpressive. The new goalkeeper even made a mistake in the 0-2 loss to Tottenham at the Etihad. Man City's rebuilding process is proving more difficult than expected.

In that context, Manchester City decided to recruit Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of over 30 million euros. The Italian goalkeeper signed a 4-year contract with the Etihad Stadium team.

The signing of Donnarumma represents a change in strategy for Guardiola, who has previously required his goalkeeper to act as an “11th defender” with excellent ball-playing ability.

There is no denying that Donnarumma is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe when it comes to shot-stopping ability. However, with his tall stature, the Italian goalkeeper has never been good at passing from the back.

This is evident in the statistics. Last season, Ederson outperformed Donnarumma in key passing metrics. Ederson averaged 31.7 passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League, compared to Donnarumma's 23.4 in Ligue 1.

Donnarumma made a great contribution to helping PSG win the Champions League in the 2025/26 season.

Ederson's passing accuracy is also slightly better, at 86.26% compared to Donnarumma's 85.42%. In terms of long passes, Ederson continues to lead with an average of 9.4 long passes per 90 minutes (compared to Donnarumma's 6.0) and a long pass accuracy of 57.92% (compared to Donnarumma's 44.6%). Ederson also makes more forward passes, averaging 14.7 compared to Donnarumma's 8.4.

The main reason Man City signed Ederson in 2017 was because of his ability with his feet. Joe Hart, a shot-stopper, was replaced by Pep for Claudio Bravo in 2016, and Man City continued to upgrade with Ederson the following year.

With Man City often dominating the game, the need for a goalkeeper who is good at blocking is not great. However, with the ever-changing game of football, coaches are increasingly prioritizing blocking ability over ball distribution.

Pep's Adjustment

Enzo Maresca's decision to keep Robert Sanchez at Chelsea and Barcelona's move for Joan Garcia are prime examples, and they are the main reasons why Man City are chasing Donnarumma, a goalkeeper with top shot-stopping ability.

Donnarumma has been regularly praised for his quick and brilliant reflexes, and played a key role in PSG's run to the Champions League last season. Since making his PSG debut in September 2021, Donnarumma has become the goalkeeper with the best save percentage in Europe, with a save success rate of 74.94% (only among goalkeepers who have made at least 300 saves in the top five leagues).

Has Pep changed his mind?

In the past 4 years, Donnarumma has made a total of 312 saves. In the same period, Ederson's save percentage in the Premier League is 65.7%, with a total of 96 saves, the difference is too obvious.

The choice of Donnarumma and the willingness to sell Ederson show Guardiola’s intentions clearly, meaning he is willing to adjust his tactical plan. Man City’s ability to control and move the ball from the back may decline this season, especially if Donnarumma cannot match Ederson’s ability with his feet.

However, the Italian's experience and reflexes will benefit Man City in the long term. He is capable of making seemingly impossible saves, giving Guardiola peace of mind in goal.

If Trafford represents the modern goalkeeper, Donnarumma brings football back to the “defence first” style of traditional goalkeepers. And few can match the Euro 2020 champion in terms of shot-stopping ability.

Donnarumma also brings to the Etihad a winning mentality, a key factor when Man City are going through a period of instability. Pep once again shows that he is willing to change his philosophy when necessary.

Source: https://znews.vn/donnarumma-la-thuong-vu-tao-bao-cua-pep-post1581902.html