Man City's leadership is said to be surprised when Gianluigi Donnarumma is not named in the list of nominees for the best goalkeeper in the world. However, Enzo Maresca's statements after the victory over Porto have raised more questions about the future of the Italian goalkeeper at the Etihad.
Donnarumma joined Man City from Paris Saint-Germain in 2025 on a 5-year contract, with a fee of nearly 30 million pounds. The Italian goalkeeper also quickly became one of the highest-paid players in the squad. However, Maresca seems not completely convinced.
After the victory against Porto in the opening match of the Champions League, Maresca affirmed that he was satisfied with Donnarumma but at the same time asked his players to limit passing the ball back to the Italian goalkeeper. This coach believes that Man City needs to find another option instead of constantly sending the ball towards Donnarumma.
Donnarumma had a not really solid performance in Portugal. He almost made a serious mistake when his clearance hit William Gomes and bounced out of the post.
This is also not the first time Donnarumma has made Man City's heart skip a beat. In the victory over Coventry City last weekend, the Italian goalkeeper once let the ball run past his feet and almost conceded a goal.
I think sometimes the problem is not in Donnarumma, but in the decision to use him. We can have a goalkeeper start when there is no other choice, but the players need to find other options instead of constantly passing the ball back to him" - Maresca said.
These statements are even more noteworthy because Maresca has only been present at Man City for a short time. Criticizing Donnarumma is no different from raising questions about a deal made under his predecessor.
Donnarumma is also expected to continue Ederson's role in Man City's play. However, the difference between the two goalkeepers in the ability to handle the ball with their feet and the level of confidence when participating in deploying the ball is very clear.
In modern football, the goalkeeper's ability to play with his feet is increasingly becoming an important part of the tactical system. Manuel Neuer once contributed to shaping the "sweeper goalkeeper" model, then a series of other goalkeepers also developed this skill to suit the requirements of top football.
Pep Guardiola especially values that factor. Joe Hart once lost his position at Man City when Guardiola took over in 2016 because he did not meet the requirements for his ability to play football with his feet. Andre Onana also encountered a similar problem at Man United when limitations in ball handling affected the way the team deployed their playing style.
Donnarumma will face a not-so-simple problem. He was brought to Man City with the expectation of becoming Ederson's replacement, but Maresca's initial comments showed that the Italian goalkeeper had not fully met the requirements.
What is more worrying for Man City is not a few mistakes of Donnarumma, but the impact from Maresca's statements on the entire system. When the coach publicly asks players to limit passing back to the goalkeeper, teammates' belief in Donnarumma's ball handling ability may also be affected.
