Italy's hero goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has signed a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. /CFP
After seven impressive years at AC Milan and a magnificent Euro 2020 campaign, Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has scaled new heights after completing his long-awaited move to French Ligue 1 giants PSG, who are one of the few elite clubs that could afford to meet the 22-year-old's salary requirements.
"I am delighted to be part of this huge club," Donnarumma said in a statement released by PSG on Wednesday night. "I feel ready to take on this new challenge and continue to grow here. With Paris, I want to win as much as possible and to bring joy to the supporters."
Donnarumma was named Player of the Tournament as his two crucial saves in the penalty shootout win over England in the final helped Italy win the Euros for the first time in 53 years.
As a poster boy in the AC Milan academy, Donnarumma broke into the side as a 16-year-old and made 251 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A powerhouse. At national level, he became the youngest goalie to play for Italy at 17 years and 189 days when he featured against France in 2016.
In five seasons at AC Milan, Donnarumma won Supercoppa Italiana in 2016 and was voted the league's best goalkeeper last season. /CFP
Before joining PSG on a five-year contract, Donnarumma wrote an emotional open letter to bid farewell to Milan fans. "Some choices are difficult, but they are part of a man's growth," he said via Instagram.
"I arrived at Milan when I was little more than a child, for eight years I wore this shirt with pride, we fought, suffered, won, cried, celebrated, together with my teammates, my coaches, all those who have made and are part of the Club, together with our fans who are an integral part of what has been a family for many years.
"Now the time has come to say goodbye, a choice that was not easy, indeed, and certainly a post is not enough to explain it, or perhaps it cannot even be explained because the deepest feelings can hardly be translated into words. What I can say is that sometimes it is right to choose to change, to face different challenges, to grow, to complete oneself.
"All the Rossoneri I met, from the first to the last day, will always remain in my heart as an important, indeed fundamental part of the life path that made me what I am.
"I wish Milan all possible successes and I do it with my heart, for the affection that binds me to these colors, a feeling that distance and time cannot erase," he concluded.
Cristiano Ronaldo's future has been in doubt after a difficult campaign during which Juventus lost their Serie A crown after nine years' dominance. /CFP
Earlier in the day, AC Milan director Paolo Maldini confirmed that Chelsea's French striker Olivier Giroud was set to join the club.
"Olivier should arrive in Milan tomorrow," Maldini said at the unveiling of the Serie A calendar for the 2021-2022 season. "He's a very reliable player and that's what we're looking for. We have a young team and we need players with this experience."
Meanwhile, Juventus director Pavel Nedved rubbished rumors that Cristiano Ronaldo could leave the club this summer. "Cristiano is on holiday. We have no signal from his entourage that he wants to leave. We're waiting for him, and he will return around July 25 as scheduled," he insisted in a press briefing.
Nedved also refused to rule out that the club were interested in signing Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli who shined during the Euros. "We left the boy quiet during the European Championship. He is a Sassuolo player and there will be time to address the issue," he observed.