'He Should Leave': Super Agent Urges Italian Star to Quit AC Milan as Real Madrid Eye Potential Deal

Super agent Mino Raiola has publicly revealed that he thinks the time is right for young client Gianluigi Donnarumma, a player heavily linked with Real Madrid last summer, to leave AC Milan.

Donnarumma, who has only recently celebrated his 19th birthday, looked set to quit Milan after it was announced in June that he would renew his contract. With those terms set to expire in 2018, it seemingly left the Rossoneri with little choice but to sell or else lose him as a free agent.

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Many at the time believed Raiola was behind the decision not to sign an extension, but Donnarumma ultimately performed a shock U-turn just a few weeks later and agreed a fresh deal until the summer of 2021.

Given their difficulties in convincing David de Gea or Thibaut Courtois to quit Manchester United or Chelsea respectively, Real were thought to be right there in the mix.

De Gea is now seemingly ever more off limits, but even though Courtois is involved in protracted contract talks with Chelsea, it may be that Los Blancos renew their interest in Donnarumma if Raiola is pushing the young goalkeeper to move in the near future.

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"Gigio has made a choice, to stay at Milan, and I respect that," Raiola has told Italian broadcaster RAI. "But if he were to ask me to arrange a transfer, I would immediately go to work because there are important requests. [In my opinion], he should leave Milan."

Real missed out on the expected €25m signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga in January when the emerging stopper signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao instead.