Gianluigi Donnarumma has been encouraged to rethink his decision over an AC Milan exit by the new club manager Christian Abbiati.
Having represented the club for many years as a player, Abbiati returned last week to take up a new directorial role at the San Siro.
Unsurprisingly, when he answered questions at #ACMilanSocialDay on Monday, many of the questions that came his way centred on the wantaway goalkeeper, who turned down a lucrative contract extension with the Diavolo.
“As a fan, I hope that Gigio will remain because he is loved by everyone and our hope is that the deal is still open,” he said. “In terms of what happened with Italy [when the goalkeeper had fake money thrown at him], it is part of the game.
“Fans insulted me a lot too during my career. As a player, you have to stay focused because it is a delicate position and you must make sure that you are thinking only about the game.”
However, as a star goalkeeper himself, Abbiati is confident that if Donnarumma does indeed depart, another youngster could emerge from the club’s ranks to impress in the form of Alessandro Plizzari.
“I’ve watched him grow and improve for a long time. He has great potential,” added Abbiati. “I watched his game recently with the Under-20 side and I was impressed.
“He does still have a lot of room for improvement in his game but so too does Gigio. Ultimately, I think he is a player who can do very well.”
