AC Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma Could Become the First Goalkeeping Galactico

Diego Lopez joined Real Madrid at the age of 19 and worked his way through the Spanish giants' "C" and "B" teams. He would eventually establish himself as the club's No. 1 under the auspices of Jose Mourinho in 2013. But he was destined not to stay.

In the summer of 2014, the Spaniard joined AC Milan. And, on his competitive debut for the Italian side, he showed exceptional agility to dive to his right and thwart a stoppage-time penalty, ensuring a 3-1 victory over Lazio. However, within two years, he would be replaced by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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Clearly, Lopez was talented. But that alone had not been enough for him to retain his place at Real Madrid, a club whose recent history has been built on the philosophy of "Zidanes and Pavones." This term referenced Zinedine Zidane, Francisco Pavon and a transfer policy that led to adoration and ignominy in equal measure.

Following Florentino Perez's election as club president in 2000, Los Blancos set about signing one superstar per season. These were the "Zidanes," and they included Luis Figo, David Beckham, Ronaldo and, of course, Zidane himself. These big-name, big-money acquisitions would form a squad along with the "Pavones," who were made up of relative unknowns and youth-team graduates.

This transfer policy has morphed since, and the Zidanes have come to be known simply as the Galacticos, but the essence of it remains the same. Unfortunately for Lopez, he fell into the "Pavones" category—hence his expendability and transfer to Milan.

Indeed, goalkeepers don't usually fit into the Galactico category for numerous reasons that go beyond the simple matter of capability on the pitch. But the Rossoneri might just have the player to buck this trend.

Lopez is no longer with Milan. This is entirely down to the astoundingly quick progress of a 17-year-old sensation: Donnarumma.

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The teenager broke into the first team last season and has kept his place in the lineup since, forcing his Spanish predecessor to go out on loan to Espanyol in search of regular game time. He has produced a litany of incredible saves, substantially boosted his club's points tally and suggested that the future of Italian goalkeeping is very bright in the process.

And, should he continue to develop, Donnarumma may one day become the first goalkeeping Galactico.

Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and what it takes to be a Galactico

Perez became Real Madrid president for a second time in 2009 and reinstated his favoured transfer policy. A look at two of the club's key signatures that year offer an insight into what is required to be known as a Galactico.

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Kaka joined that summer, leaving Milan behind after the two clubs agreed on a £56 million transfer fee. The Brazilian had by that point established himself as one of the most exhilarating players in the world, with his intricate dribbling, visionary passing, subtle movement and clinical finishing helping the Rossoneri to one Scudetto and a Champions League during his first spell in Serie A.

The deal that sealed his departure from Milan involved a world record-breaking transfer fee, which is undoubtedly part of the Galactico objective—of the last six record transfer fees, Real Madrid have paid five of them. Indeed, within one month of Kaka's signature, Cristiano Ronaldo's purchase broke the record once again, as the Portuguese was signed for £80 million from Manchester United.

As well as the sheer expense of signing them, Galacticos are determined to a good extent by their levels of star power. As well as being good footballers, they generally must also be renowned "brands" capable of boosting the financial and cultural capital of the club they sign for.

Perez commented on this element recently following an announcement that Ronaldo's contract with Real Madrid had been extended until 2021. "Cristiano is special. His stats are scandalous … He gives us more than we pay him," he told Agence France-Presse (h/t the Daily Mirror's Liam Corless).

In this respect, in order to be a Galactico, it is clear that the player must fit the brand. Talent and an expensive transfer fee are good starting points, though personal characteristics will also play a part.

Buffon and the absence of goalkeeping Galacticos

In terms of position, few Galacticos are goalkeepers. No ‘keeper has ever broken the world-record transfer fee, and Real Madrid's recent history in this area only furthers this notion.

There was an element of good fortune in that between the posts they were set for the long-term future by the time Perez was first elected club president and set about implementing his "Zidanes and Pavones" team-building strategy.

Like Donnarumma, Iker Casillas made his name at the top level as a teenager, breaking into Real Madrid's first team in the 1999-00 season at the age of 18. He would be the club's No. 1 for much of the proceeding 16 years, before being succeeded by the skilled but unsung Keylor Navas.

Perhaps the only goalkeeper to ever come close to "Galactico" status is Juventus and Italy shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon.

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Buffon was, and is, fairly unique for his position in that he has always combined the charisma of a superstar with the quality of a world-class player. His passion and charm only added to his personal brand and arguably helped pave the way to him becoming the most expensive goalkeeper of all time when he joined the Bianconeri in 2001 for £33 million.

Most goalkeepers are renowned either for their eccentricities (think Rene Higuita's scorpion kick) or purely for their ability. Buffon operated somewhere between these lines, and Donnarumma, his likely successor with the Italy national team, could do the same.

Can Donnarumma buck the trend?

Donnarumma is already well regarded due primarily to his tender age upon breaking through at Milan, making his competitive debut for the club at 16. However, he has also impressed simply because of the consistently high level of his performances.

Last term he put in several highlight-reel displays to keep his team in games they would otherwise have comfortably lost, and he has already made a number of crucial stops this season, including a last-gasp penalty save against Torino and a stunning denial of Sami Khedira in the dying embers of the win over Juventus.

According to Squawka.com's statistics, Donnarumma ranks third in Serie A for goalkeeping performance behind Napoli's Jose Reina and Roma's Wojciech Szczesny. In addition, Buffon himself has stated his admiration for the youngster, telling reporters, "He [Donnarumma] is definitely a top goalkeeper."

Alongside his technical ability, the prospect possesses incredible composure and a surprising ability to command both his penalty area and his team-mates. Despite his relative youth, he is a fierce organiser, who is more than willing to instruct the more experienced around him when necessary.

Last year, Real Madrid were persistently linked to Manchester United's David De Gea, reported by the Independent's Ian Herbert among others. This concerted transfer speculation suggested that the reigning European champions have come to terms with the idea of signing a star goalkeeper. And Donnarumma could be their principal target should this ever become reality.

This rumour has already done the rounds, even warranting a response from the player. "Real Madrid want me? I'm only thinking about AC Milan, doing well and working hard every day," the 17-year-old told Sky Italia (h/t AS). "We'll see."

Donnarumma would be wise to remain with Milan for the formative years of his professional career. This will give him the chance to develop while playing for a club with real ambition. But, down the line, it is possible he could become the first goalkeeping Galactico.