Donnarumma: Man City are not in transition — and can win it all
Gianluigi Donnarumma has rejected the idea that Manchester City are in a transition season, insisting the club's objective remains to win every competition. The goalkeeper was speaking at City's training ground after their Manchester derby victory, with City holding a 100 per cent record heading into the international break.
- Speaker: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Manchester City goalkeeper
- Headline claim: "I don't really like the word 'transition.'"
- Form: City have a 100 per cent record this season
- Next match: Man City vs Norwich City, Carabao Cup third round, Thursday 8pm
- Then: Man City vs Sunderland, Premier League, live on Sky Sports' Super Sunday from 1pm, kick-off 2pm
What was said
"I loved my team-mates' performance, it was sublime. The capacity to stay in the game and to react to difficult moments - no one can take that away from us."
"We will give everything for this shirt, for this club that gives us so much and offers us so much great support. It has a great history, and we need to give a lot back to it."
"I don't really like the word 'transition.' The club's objective is to win. This team's objective is to win. We'll certainly give everything we can to achieve that."
"We could reach the end of the season having won something, or having won nothing. But what's important is having a winning mentality, going out there and trying to win everything we possibly can."
"We've changed a few players. A few new ones have arrived. They're all top players who are used to playing on the biggest stages, dealing with certain situations, and playing in the Premier League."
"It's not easy at the beginning when you move to a new club, a new organisation, a new city. But they're adapting well, and we're making them feel comfortable. The players who were already here are helping them a lot. I think we're going to have a great season."
"The objective is to get to the end and compete for everything there is to compete for - in addition to the Premier League, there's the Champions League and the two domestic cups."
"I don't know. We're only four games into the season. Our focus right now has to be on working and trying to win every game. That has to be our objective. Whether we achieve it in the end or not, only time will tell."
Donnarumma's words carry weight because he is part of City's newly-formed leadership group, alongside Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland and Marc Guehi. All four have won trophies at City and elsewhere, and they are tasked with driving standards as new players such as Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson and Ilimian Ndiaye settle in.
He also admitted disappointment at missing out on the title last May, when City slipped up at Bournemouth to hand the Gunners the crown. "It's difficult, but that's football, that's life. You're not on your own," he said. "There are other strong teams, especially in the Premier League. It's not that if you don't win there isn't disappointment - of course there is - but it can happen because there are other teams as well, just like in the Champions League."
Why Donnarumma's leadership matters more than his saves
City lost Pep Guardiola, Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Rodri from the core of a successful era, and Donnarumma is central to the rebuild. The goalkeeper sits alongside Ruben Dias in the leadership pecking order, with Erling Haaland and Marc Guehi completing a quartet of serial winners. That structure is deliberate: City want standards maintained while Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson and Ilimian Ndiaye adapt to a new club, a new organisation and a new city.
Donnarumma's message is that the derby win, achieved a man down after Phil Foden's red card, showed the mettle required. He was still annoyed that Foden was "harshly" sent off, and he was not interested in the controversy around Haaland's winner. What pleased him was the reaction: City stayed in the game and won when everything was against them.
That mentality will be tested by Arsenal, who have also started with five straight wins and beat City to the title last May. Donnarumma's insistence that this is not a transition year is a warning: City expect to compete for the Premier League, Champions League and both domestic cups, and they believe the leadership group can carry the new signings through the difficult moments.
Talking points
- Donnarumma says City are not in transition, but losing Guardiola, Bernardo, Stones and Rodri in one summer looks exactly like one. Can a leadership group replace that?
- Phil Foden's red card was "harsh" according to Donnarumma. Did the officials get the biggest call of the derby right, or did City get lucky?
- City and Arsenal have both won all five games. Is the title already a two-horse race, or can another club break in?
- Donnarumma says he wants to win everything. Is that realistic with a rebuilt squad, or is he setting City up for a fall?
What happens next
Manchester City host Norwich City in the Carabao Cup third round on Thursday night, kick-off 8pm. Enzo Maresca's side then face Sunderland in the Premier League, live on Sky Sports' Super Sunday from 1pm, kick-off 2pm. City will want to maintain their 100 per cent record before the international break and prove Donnarumma's words right.
Frequently asked questions
What did Donnarumma say about Man City being in transition?
He said: "I don't really like the word 'transition.' The club's objective is to win. This team's objective is to win." He added that City will give everything to achieve that.
Who is in Man City's new leadership group?
Donnarumma sits alongside Ruben Dias in the leadership pecking order, along with Erling Haaland and Marc Guehi. All four have won trophies at City and elsewhere.
When do Man City play next?
City face Norwich City in the Carabao Cup third round on Thursday at 8pm, then Sunderland in the Premier League on Super Sunday, kick-off 2pm.
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