Gianluigi Donnarumma can be AC Milan’s answer to Gianluigi Buffon

The youngster has played in the Rossoneri’s last two Serie A games, making his debut at just 16 years-old, and drawing comparisons with his namesake, Gianluigi Buffon.

“For the public Donnarumma is a surprise, but not for us,” Vincenzo Raiola told MilanNews.

“He’s a humble lad, he knows how to keep his feet on the ground and he’s shown that with the recent media adulation.

“We’ve focused on him for some years, he can be the goalkeeper of the future. There’s always been great faith in Gigi from our side, it’s good to see him at this level.

“Gigi has always been a Rossonero since childhood, Inter and Juve were very close, and Gigi would have accepted them as they’re big clubs, but in his heart he was waiting for Milan.

“When they came in, he said yes without even thinking. When [joint-CEO Adriano] Galliani contacted us to close the deal, the lad was in seventh-heaven.

“If the club can return to its international appeal, I think he can be Milan’s new Buffon. That’s what we’re all hoping for.

“If the crisis were to continue at Milan though, other decisions could be taken. Not just by the player, but by the club, as they did a few years ago with [Zlatan] Ibra[himovic] and Thiago Silva.

“That is to say, if you believe you have an important product, then you can try to sell it.

“We’re thinking positively though, we believe Milan will return to the Champions League and he’ll be the Rossoneri goalkeeper for the next 20 years like Buffon has done at Juve.”