Real Madrid Transfer News: Gianluigi Donnarumma Reacts to Blancos Rumours

AC Milan starlet Gianluigi Donnarumma has played down speculation linking him with transfer moves to Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea, saying he's only focused on the Rossoneri for now.

The teenage sensation made headlines by becoming the youngest goalkeeper in history to play for the Italian national team in the friendly against Spain, as shared by Bleacher Report UK:

His incredible rise had led to plenty of speculation regarding his future. Mediaset (h/t Teddy Cutler of Newsweek) suggested both Premier League clubs are keeping a close eye on the 17-year-old, and Los Blancos have also been linked.

As reported by Sky Sports Italia (h/t ESPN FC's Ben Gladwell), Los Blancos want to make the budding star their next great goalkeeper, but Donnarumma played down said speculation, while also talking about the opportunity to work with Juventus veteran Gianluigi Buffon:

"

But I'm only thinking about Milan. I'm trying to do well here and train well each day, then we'll see.

[…] It was an amazing emotion to be in the senior national team already at my age. I want to thank [coach Giampiero] Ventura for the opportunity.

[Buffon] gave me some great advice. He told me to enjoy myself and that is that. We had a lot of fun in training.

"

Donnarumma is expected to replace Buffon as Italy's unquestioned starter once the latter retires from the national team in 2018, a tremendous feat given the wealth of talent the Azzurri have at their disposal.

Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Veteran Salvatore Sirigu has been waiting for his chance for a long time, and top talents like Mattia Perin of Genoa and Simone Scuffet of Udinese are also in the mix.

All are solid options in goal, but none have the raw potential of Donnarumma, who already looks like a seasoned veteran at the young age of 17. Here's a look at some of his highlights:

He broke into Milan's senior team as a 16-year-old last year, replacing Diego Lopez in the starting XI in October for a match against Sassuolo. Milan won 2-1, Donnarumma kept a clean sheet in his next match against Chievo, and the youngster never looked back, establishing himself as one of the league's best overall stoppers, regardless of age, by the end of the season.

He started the 2016-17 campaign by saving a penalty against Torino in the final minutes to preserve a 3-2 win, and all signs point to yet another dominant campaign for the youngster.

Milan's profile as a top club has fallen in recent years, but the club was recently taken over by a Chinese investment firm, as shared by AC Milan Club of NYC:

The group will inject some much-needed cash into the historic club and has massive plans to bring the Rossoneri back to the pinnacle of European football. According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia's Vince Van Genechten), one of their first moves will be an improved contract for their star goalkeeper:

Along with centre-back Alessio Romagnoli, Donnarumma is Milan's most valuable asset, and he'll be a building block for the future. He and his brother both moved north from the Naples region to play for the Rossoneri, and there are no indications the teenager has any intention of turning his back on his boyhood club.

Real have their own goalkeeper prospect in Luca Zidane, the son of manager Zinedine Zidane, and it stands to reason the latter sees him as the natural heir to Keylor Navas' throne. The undersized stopper has been with the club for more than a decade, and he'll battle Carlos Abad for the starting position with Real Madrid Castilla this season.

Donnarumma is a generational talent, however, so it's easy to see why top clubs are already tracking him. Don't expect Milan to sell him now they're starting their new project, however.