AC Milan general manager Adriano Galliani is confident the club will be able to keep Gianluigi Donnarumma, despite uncertainty due to a takeover meaning the goalkeeper has not yet signed a new contract.
Donnarumma, 17, is now approaching 50 appearances for the Rossoneri having made his debut on Oct. 25, 2015. He has been Milan's No. 1 for every league game since, while he became the youngest goalkeeper to debut for Italy when he took his international bow against France in September.
As a result, many of Europe's top clubs are keen on a player tipped to replace Gianluigi Buffon as Italy's No. 1 following the 2018 World Cup, and Galliani explained that his future is uncertain.
"I hope he will renew his contract once he turns 18," Galliani said. "I really hope so and I think he will. He will stay in Milan. [Agent Mino] Raiola wants to know what the ambitions and the future of Milan are, and who the new owners are, but we have a great bond with Gigio and Raiola.
"It's only legitimate that Raiola wants to get to know the new owners so he wants to wait for the sale to be concluded."
That is due to happen on March 3 -- a week after Donnarumma turns 18 and can officially sign a long-term contract, with his current deal up for renewal in 2018.
Meanwhile, Donnarumma says he has been told by club president Silvio Berlusconi to maintain a squeaky-clean image.
The teenager received an award from La Gazzetta dello Sport on Wednesday as the best newcomer of 2016 and he explained how keeping his feet on the ground is one of the secrets to his success.
"The coach always tells me to remain humble because that is one of the greatest strengths one can have, while the president has told me not to have any piercings or spike my hair," Donnarumma, who recalled the moment he discovered he was to make his first-team debut, said.
He was 16 at the time and had been training with the first team during the summer.
"At the end of preseason, [Sinisa] Mihajlovic called me into his dressing room and he said he had been thinking about me [debuting] and he asked if was afraid," Donnarumma said. "I told him that I wasn't, but I have got to say that when I came out of there, I really couldn't believe what was happening so I asked his assistants to confirm it to me."