Donnarumma admits preference for staying at PSG before Man City transfer

On Monday, Gianluigi Donnarumma told AFP that he would have chosen to remain at Paris Saint-Germain instead of completing a surprising move to Manchester City earlier this month.

During the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, Donnarumma picked up the top goalkeeper prize for his vital contributions to PSG's Champions League success from the prior season. He responded "yes" when questioned about wanting to continue with the club.

"When you have shared a lot with people and spent a lot of time and made friends, it's difficult (to leave)," he confessed.

The 26 year old Italian received permission to depart following PSG's acquisition of French custodian Lucas Chevalier over the summer.

Donnarumma agreed to a five year contract with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, arriving in a £26 million ($35 million) transfer.

He portrayed City as "an extraordinary club with extraordinary players and they welcomed me like a family, and that is very important for me".

Donnarumma secured the Yashin trophy for the second occasion on Monday, while acknowledging his previous PSG squad members for their involvement in his exceptional campaign.

"This is wonderful, congratulations to the whole team, without them I wouldn't be here, it was the whole team," he remarked.

He had previously claimed the honour in 2021, after Italy's victory in the European Championship.