Manchester City Eyeing £35 Million-Rated Lens Goalkeeper Amid Gianluigi Donnarumma Struggles

Manchester City Eyeing £35 Million-Rated Lens Goalkeeper Amid Gianluigi Donnarumma Struggles Gianluigi Donnarumma has struggled in net for Manchester City of late. More Videos Gianluigi Donnarumma remains Enzo Maresca’s first-choice goalkeeper, but it has not been the most convincing start to the season for the Italian. A number of costly errors have placed his form under scrutiny, forcing Maresca to publicly back his No. 1 on more than one occasion and prompting some supporters to argue that their side needs more competition between the sticks. With Geronimo Rulli approaching 35 years of age, that competition would likely have to come from the transfer market - which is where a new name linked with Manchester City will raise eyebrows. It’s safe to assume that the club’s recruitment staff have continued to track the next generation of goalkeepers across Europe even after the signing of Donnarumma, and fresh rumours suggest the search has taken them to France. Trophy-winning Lens shotstopper being considered by Man City The name in question is RC Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser, who was part of France’s World Cup squad in the summer after a meteoric rise in senior football. According to Swiss outlet 4-4-2.ch , as relayed by  Sports Mole ,  Manchester City are leading the chase for the 21-year-old and are considering an opening bid of around £26 million ahead of the summer window. Lens, however, are holding out for at least £35 million for a player contracted until June 2030. Risser was central to a superb 2025-26 campaign at Lens as they finished second in Ligue 1 and lifted the Coupe de France. That form earned him the UNFP Goalkeeper of the Year award and a place in the competition’s Team of the Year. The 6ft 4in Risser boasts a commanding aerial presence and composure on the ball, making him exactly the kind of profile that would suit Manchester City ’s build-up play. The sticking point is a sell-on clause inserted by Strasbourg, reported as 25 per cent of the total fee - or 25 per cent of the profit according to L’Équipe - meaning a significant chunk of any sale would be owed to his old club. Risser’s current season has admittedly been more difficult than the last, not least with a chastening 9-1 UEFA Champions League defeat at home to Como earlier this month. His standing at international level has held firm, though, with the youngster called up under both Didier Deschamps and new France boss Zinedine Zidane. That promise has not gone unnoticed elsewhere. Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly both keeping tabs, as are Serie A pair Inter Milan and Juventus, while Newcastle United and Tottenham  have shown interest in the past. No formal offers have been tabled as yet.