AC Milan, Donnarumma agree to new contract after public soap opera
The telenova is finally over.
Weeks after AC Milan tried and failed to renew Gianluigi Donnarumma's expiring contract, the Italian club announced Tuesday it extended the 18-year-old's deal until June 2021.
The teenager will reportedly pull in €6 million over the next four seasons, making him one of the top earners in Serie A.
#ACMilan comunica di aver prolungato al 30 giugno 2021 il contratto di @gigiodonna1 pic.twitter.com/4yGxBuVhRQ
— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 11, 2017
The Rossoneri didn't confirm reports of a release clause.
Donnarumma's older brother, Antonio, is also on the verge of returning to Milan, where he began his professional career.
It is a happy ending to nearly a month of fraught negotiations between Milan, Donnarumma, and his agent, Mino Raiola.
In a hastily organised news conference on June 15, club CEO Marco Fassone and sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli told reporters Donnarumma had informed Milan of his decision not to renew and that it was "definitive." The announcement soured an otherwise productive summer of arrivals.
Upset with a player who kissed the badge on multiple occasions and expressed a desire to one day captain the team, supporters erupted on social media and accused the goalkeeper of being a mercenary.
His future left unresolved, Donnarumma travelled with Italy to Poland to compete at the European Under-21 Championship, although the extra distance didn't provide a reprieve from the abuse. During Italy's opening match, a small group of Milan fans hurled fake money at Donnarumma.
Raiola later gave interviews to select Italian media in which he claimed Milan had bullied his client and threatened him if he didn't sign a new contract - allegations which Fassone denied.
All the while, reports of a move to Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain gathered pace.
Donnarumma broke his silence on June 25, when he pledged his allegiance to Raiola on Twitter. It only inflamed the reactions of jilted supporters.
The youngster apologised on Instagram, but said it was the result of a hacker, and shut down his account soon after.
Despite the furor, Fassone and Mirabelli worked diligently behind the scenes and ensured the club's crown jewel wouldn't leave so easily.
After the U-21 Euros, a compromise was apparently reached, and it was decided Donnarumma's time at San Siro would continue.