AC Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis has explained the thinking behind the decisions that led to Leonardo Bonucci and Gianluigi Donnarumma leaving the club.
Bonucci joined Milan in a big-money move from Juventus in the summer of 2017 as part of the spending spree that Yonghong Li sanctioned after taking over the club, however the centre-back never really settled and he returned to Juve the next summer.
Donnarumma meanwhile came through Milan’s academy system and made his debut aged just 16, but in the summer of 2017 he seemed destined to leave as Mino Raiola announced that he would not sign a professional deal, but Fassone and Mirabelli eventually convinced him with a very big deal.
During his interview with ESPN, Gazidis explained why one of the first necessary actions after his arrival at the club was to get rid of high earners such as the aforementioned duo, with SempreMilan.it relaying his comments.
“There were many heavy contracts, almost too many to name, players that cost a lot like Bonucci for example. They had renewed Gianluigi Donnarumma, an excellent goalkeeper, but with a huge contract to keep him,” he said.
“Some contracts were too high in relation to the performance of these players on the pitch. There were probably 10 different examples of players who fell into that category. And players, when overpaid for their performance, are really hard to sell.
“But when you get those players out, then you need someone to play. The only way to bring in new signings is obviously to spend money and therefore the goal is to spend effectively and efficiently.”
