Making Moves

Making Moves

Now that the dust has settled on a fantastic summer of international football, it's time to look forward to the start of the domestic season in the coming weeks.

Clubs are clearly feeling the financial impact of the pandemic, demonstrated by the lack of activity in the transfer market compared to recent years.

However, there have been high profile moves for goalkeepers thus far, so let's take a look at some of the major moves for members of the Goalkeepers’ Union.

Gianluigi Buffon - Juventus to PARMA

At the tender age of 43, Gianluigi Buffon has returned to the club where he broke onto the European scene and the club who pocketed a cool £43 million back in 2001 when he became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper.

Parma will play in Serie B this season following their relegation, the first time Buffon will play outside of the top tier since Juventus were relegated after their part in the match fixing scandal that rocked Italian football in 2006.

Parma are no strangers to enforced relegation, having suffered serious financial difficulties since Buffon departed, but the World Cup winner who played for the northern side in their most successful period, will be hoping he helps bring the good times back. 

Buffon says he could play for another five years taking him a couple of years shy of his 50th birthday and who are we to question the master?

 

Gianluigi Donnarumma - AC Milan to PSG

A star of Euro 2020 (albeit not as big as Jordan Pickford) Donnarumma secured his big move to PSG during the tournament after a well-publicised breakdown of contract talks with AC Milan.

Amazingly, the European Championship winner is still only 22 and PSG will be delighted to have secured one of the best goalkeeping talents in the world at such a young age and even more so that he was free.

Mauricio Pochettino has diplomatically told press that he will have to battle for the number one jersey with Keylor Navas, but it is highly likely that Donnarumma will be the French giants first choice come the beginning of the season.

 It will be interesting to watch PSG, who looked so frail against Manchester City in the Champions League semifinal last season, will be strengthened by the huge youngster’s presence.

 

Jose Sa - Olympiacos to Wolves

It has been all change at Molineux this summer, with two key figures of their recent success departing the club in the form of Nuno Santo and Rui Patricio.

The latter vacated a spot as Wolves’ number one, which has since been filled with the signing of another Portuguese star, Jose Sa from Olympiakos for a fee of around £7 million.

Sa played Champions League football for the Greek giants last season but has big gloves to fill after compatriot Patricio left for Roma.

Fans will watch with intrigue as a new era begins at Wolves, with another Portuguese revolution taking place with Bruno Lange coming in as manager and eyes will be on Sa to see how well he takes the mantle from Rui Patricio.


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