After Gianluigi Donnarumma’s exit became apparent, there was a degree of concern over how AC Milan would successfully fill the void he left behind.
Such was the quality and influence of the Italian shot-stopper for the Rossoneri, it was a damaging blow to lose him, and a hurtful one too given his emergence from a young age with the expectation that he could be a long-standing figure in the side.
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Nevertheless, such is modern-day football, the idea of a one-team player is becoming somewhat of a lost art form, and Milan opted to move on and find a replacement rather than submit to his wage demands.
In came Mike Maignan from Lille, and while there was always some concern despite his experience and record given it was a goalkeeper coming from a different league that perhaps might need time to adjust and acclimatise to life in Italy and Serie A, the French international has made it look effortless for the most part.
Maignan already at home in Milan
The figures perhaps aren’t that impressive, but they don’t accurately reflect the job that he has done for Milan thus far and the aforementioned context around it having moved to a completely new environment.
Maignan has kept three clean sheets in nine competitive appearances for Milan, conceding 10 goals in total.
While Stefano Pioli will undoubtedly hope to see his defence as a whole tighten things up moving forward, Maignan’s shot-stopping ability, commanding nature of his box and all-round organisation at the back have all certainly been major positive points in the early part of the campaign.
The 26-year-old has look assured, composed and in control between the posts, while his distribution has also been an important addition to the side as he’s very much comfortable with the ball at his feet and has shown an ability to be decisive in our build-up with his quickness in transitioning us into attack.
Milan will hope to see him continue to improve and show a high level of consistency when he reaches his peak form, but as we look to compete for the Serie A title and in the Champions League once the international break concludes, Maignan will continue to be a fundamental part of our pursuit of success this season.
It’s no longer about filling the void of Donnarumma, but more so establishing himself as our long-term goalkeeper and becoming an influential part of a successful side in the coming years.