Gianluigi Donnarumma Reportedly Set to Be Subject of Huge Manchester City Offer

Manchester City could reportedly make a world-record offer of up to €150 million (£130.3 million) in a bid to sign goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from AC Milan.

According to Sky Sport Italia (via Football Italia), City are in need of a new No. 1 as Joe Hart is not in manager Pep Guardiola's plans, while Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero are inconsistent. Donnarumma "is seen as an ideal candidate" to solve City's troubles between the sticks.

The report added that City would be prepared to bid between €120 million (£104.2 million) and €150 million (£130.3 million), with the 18-year-old's Milan future said to be in doubt—his contract expires next summer—because of uncertainty about the club's ownership. 

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Per BBC Sport, the highest fee ever for a goalkeeper is the £32.6 million Juventus paid Parma for Gianluigi Buffon in 2001, while Manchester United broke the all-time transfer record last summer to sign Paul Pogba from the Old Lady for £89 million. 

If City are indeed prepared to smash both records to sign Donnarumma—particularly just a season on from spending £15.4 million to sign Chilean Bravo from Barcelona—they must be supremely confident of his abilities.

He has certainly shown incredible potential already in his fledgling career, earning a first Italy cap as a 17-year-old at the end of last year.

And he has thrived as Milan's undisputed No. 1 for the best part of the last two seasons, in which he has started 59 times in the Italian top flight, per Squawka:

Given the relative longevity of goalkeeping careers compared to outfield players, it is not inconceivable that Donnarumma could be a top-level stopper for the next two decades.

Fellow Italian Buffon, to whom Donnarumma has been often compared, is still considered one of the best goalkeepers in the game at 39. 

City could argue that, given how long he could play a key part in their first team, Donnarumma is worth a bid in excess of £100 million. 

However, as has been proved by Bravo's travails this season, it is not always easy for even the best goalkeepers to transition from one league to another. 

City would be taking a big risk shelling out such a huge fee on a raw talent like Donnarumma, especially given how important it is to have a reliable goalkeeper.

But the Premier League outfit may feel it is worth getting in ahead of other potential suitors before he becomes increasingly in demand in the transfer market.