There is a change of guard in the Paris Saint-Germain goal. Lucas Chevalier is moving to the capital for up to €55 million and is likely to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma as first-choice keeper.
Gianluigi Donnarumma’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain has only one year left, and talks about an extension have reportedly failed repeatedly in recent months. The record champions are now unlikely to plan for the coming season with the Italian as their regular goalkeeper, as Lucas Chevalier is set to move from OSC Lille to the French capital for up to €55 million.
According to L’Equipe, the fixed base transfer fee for the 23-year-old is around €40 million, with a further €15 million in bonus payments. This makes Chevalier the most expensive French goalkeeper in history and PSG’s first multi-million-euro signing in the current transfer window.
“Lucas is one of the strongest goalkeepers in France and Europe and a fantastic addition to our team,” said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is thinking about the future of the team with this transfer.
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With Lille, Chevalier had the second-best defense in Ligue 1 last season, keeping a clean sheet in eleven of 34 league games. Above all, however, it was his footballing qualities that convinced coach Luis Enrique and his staff to sign the newcomer: While Donnarumma has been prone to mistakes with the ball at his feet in the past, Chevalier also brings technical skills to the reigning Champions League winners.
The top transfer could make his debut between the posts as early as next week, when PSG face Tottenham Hotspur in the European Super Cup on Wednesday.
“I am a child living my dream,” Chevalier said in his first statement: “Since I was a child, I wanted to play at the highest level.” He promised “passion and ambition” for the next five years; his contract runs until 2030.
Meanwhile, Donnarumma’s future remains uncertain: the Italian national goalkeeper could see out his lucrative contract in Paris until next summer – or look for a new club during the current transfer window if he does not want to spend most of his time on the bench at PSG.