Less than three months after backstopping Paris Saint‑Germain to its first Champions League title, Gianluigi Donnarumma‘s future is in flux. PSG has signed France international Lucas Chevalier from Lille on a deal through 2030, a move that has accelerated internal discussions about selling Donnarumma before his contract enters its final year in 2026.
Chevalier’s fee has been reported at about $47 million, with add‑ons in some accounts. In announcing the transfer, the 23‑year‑old as said, “I am a kid that is living his dream. Ever since I was small I wanted to play at the very highest level.” PSG has not named a starter, but people briefed on the club’s planning say Chevalier has been recruited to be No. 1 immediately.
What the decision hinges on
Talks to extend Donnarumma’s deal stalled earlier this summer. According to French and Italian reports, PSG adopted a performance‑weighted salary model across the squad, and Donnarumma has not accepted those terms. With Chevalier in, the club is prepared to consider offers in the region of $35 million to $47 million. Interested teams have been linked in England and Italy, though no formal bids are public.
Inside the club, the calculus is simple. PSG wants a clear hierarchy in goal, stability in the wage structure, and no repeat of the tension that can come with two starters sharing minutes. Donnarumma, 26, is too accomplished to be a long‑term backup, and a season on the bench would complicate his standing with Italy as well as PSG’s ability to protect his value.
Public reaction reflects that tension. Many PSG supporters frame the move as hard, but sensible, citing the need for order after years of high‑profile churn. Others share compilations from last spring’s Champions League run, a reminder that Donnarumma was central to a treble and still among the best shot‑stoppers in Europe. Outside Paris, fans of potential suitors are cautious, praising his ceiling while questioning wages and distribution under modern build‑up demands.
For now, neither PSG nor Donnarumma’s camp has commented on negotiations. What’s clear is the direction of travel. Chevalier fits the club’s shift toward peak‑age and domestic talent. Donnarumma, who arrived on a free transfer in 2021 and has been both brilliant and polarizing, represents a different era. If a market crystallizes at the right price, PSG will move. If not, a delicate status quo awaits, with a new signing expecting to start and a European champion too good to sit.
This is the sort of fault line that defines a season. It tests a club’s principles and a player’s priorities. PSG has chosen clarity and cost control. Donnarumma must decide whether to bet on Paris or on a new project that will hand him the gloves from day one.
