Gianluigi Donnarumma sends instant response to Erling Haaland's Man City message
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(Credit: Imago)
Oliver Walton
Sat 6 September 2025 20:57, UK
Gianluigi Donnarumma has responded online to an emotional message from Erling Haaland welcoming him to Man City after his recent move from Paris Saint-Germain.
Man City‘s goalkeeping conundrum led them to sign Donnarumma after he had been told that he had no future at PSG by Luis Enrique.
The Italy international goalkeeper has been one of the world’s best in his position for a number of years, and so it was no surprise to see the Citizens register their interest in his services as Ederson edged closer to a move to Fenerbahce.
Football Insider revealed on 12 August that Man City were entering the race to sign Donnarumma alongside the likes of Chelsea and Man United, and Pep Guardiola’s side ramped up their efforts to seal his signature as the deadline approached on 1 September.
Donnarumma arrived at Man City from PSG for a fee of £30.3million on deadline day, and while he is yet to feature for his new club due to the international break, he has now received and responded to a warm welcome from star striker Erling Haaland.
Credit: Imago
Despite it being a few days since his arrival was made official, City forward Haaland took to his Instagram page on Saturday (6 September) to send a heartfelt message to Donnarumma that read: “Welcome Gigio!” with a handshake emoji, alongside a picture of the pair embracing as international opponents.
The pair have history after Donnarumma lauded Haaland as “a beast” and “a real champion,” after they met in City’s Champions League clash against PSG earlier in 2025.
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The Italy international responded to his new teammate’s post by sharing it to his Instagram story with the caption: “We will finally play together brother” alongside a blue heart emoji.
Football Insider verdict
Donnarumma is a top goalkeeper, as shown by his exploits on the international stage and at club level, so even though he is not a typical Guardiola keeper, it was a complete no-brainer for City to go after him this summer as soon as he became available.
He was obviously not the only shot-stopper they signed this summer, though, with James Trafford returning to the Etihad Stadium from Burnley in July for an initial £27m [Sky Sports].
AppearancesGoals concededClean sheets451629Trafford’s 2024/25 stats
Trafford was a standout in the Championship with the Clarets and will have joined City to be a number one, but he has now seen some seriously strong competition arrive in Donnarumma after some shaky performances at the start of the campaign.
Football Insider revealed on Tuesday (2 September) that Donnarumma will replace Trafford as Man City’s number one, and that will surely be the case for a number of years to come, so the Englishman will surely already regret his move back to Manchester, and could well leave again soon to get more game-time.