Donnarumma to Man City is a deal of geopolitical importance – here’s why

Gianluigi Donnarumma could become the first player to move between PSG and Manchester City since the former’s takeover by Qatar Sports Investment (QSI).

The Italian shot-stopper is on his way out of PSG, confirming on Tuesday that he will leave the club after being replaced by Lucas Chevalier as the Parisians’ new No.1.

Donnarumma has been axed by the treble-winners for refusing to sign a contract extension. Reports suggest that the 26-year-old has already reached an agreement on personal terms with Man City, but the two clubs now need to find common ground on a transfer fee.

Moreover, Man City need Ederson to depart before they can sign Donnarumma, but this is a deal that appears to have a good chance of materialising. Donnarumma’s agent has confirmed that the Premier League is his most likely destination.

Should Donnarumma indeed head to the Etihad this summer, it would be a deal of geopolitical importance as no player has moved between PSG and Man City since Qatar acquired the French club in 2011.

Donnarumma deal a sign of changing times

Donnarumma’s move would be significant in that it would signal a further improvement in relations between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which owns Man City via the Abu Dhabi United Group.

There is a long-standing rivalry between Qatar and the UAE, with some suggesting that the competition between the ruling families of these respective nations dates back to the 1800s.

Since QSI’s takeover of PSG in 2011, there have been no transfers between the Ligue 1 giants and Man City. This was informed by the palpable hostility between Qatar and the UAE in the 2010s.

This decade was marked by several political incidents and culminated in the Qatar diplomatic crisis, which saw the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain sever ties with their fellow Arab nation in 2017.

However, the crisis was overcome in early 2021, and the icy relations between Qatar and the UAE have thawed slowly but surely since then. In 2023, the two countries’ respective embassies resumed their work, and relations have steadily normalised.

Donnarumma’s move from PSG to Man City would further signal the ongoing diplomatic stabilisation between Qatar and the UAE, illustrating football’s increasing entanglement with world politics.

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