Mino Raiola: 'Eleven top clubs want Gianluigi Donnarumma'

Agent Mino Raiola has claimed that "there are 11 top clubs" that want to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Donnarumma became the youngest goalkeeper ever to debut in Serie A at the age of 16, and has since become Milan's undisputed number one despite only turning 18 in February.

The teenager, who stands at 6'5", also became Italy's youngest-ever stopper when he made his international debut in last September's friendly with France.

Donnarumma will be out of contract at San Siro next summer, however, and Milan chief executive Marco Fassone revealed at the weekend that his club needed an answer regarding the stopper's future.

Raiola has said that his client could yet sign a new deal with Milan, but the experienced agent wants to first assess all of the options available to "the [Diego] Maradona of goalkeepers".

"Gigio is the Maradona of goalkeepers," Raiola told Corriere dello Sport. "He can only grow and he has to be left alone to grow in peace. He is not a slave, nor a robot.

"There are 11 top clubs which are interested in him. The concept is clear. Donnarumma's contract will expire on June 30, 2018. I've never said to Milan: 'He will sign now or not at all'.

"I understand the stress and the expectations of the fans, Gigio is already a symbol for the club and for the new owners it would be ideal to seal a renewal today. Yesterday, in fact.

"But Marco Fassone and Massimiliano Mirabelli only took office just over a month ago. Leave us to work in peace. If you ask me: 'Is there a chance Donnarumma will sign with Milan again?', then the answer is yes. If you ask me: 'Is there a chance Donnarumma will leave Milan?', the answer is yes."

Donnarumma started all 38 of Milan's Serie A matches during the 2016-17 campaign.