Chelsea are seemingly in the market for a new goalkeeper this summer due to the inconsistent displays of Robert Sanchez, but may have to shelve those plans if reports are to be believed.
The Blues have Filip Jorgensen, Lucas Bergstrom and Marcus Bettinelli on their books in addition to Sanchez, so they are well stocked in the goalkeeping department.
However, they have targeted AC Milan captain Mike Maignan as their new first-choice after the French goalkeeper’s excellent displays for the Serie A side.
Maignan Becomes France Number One After Impressing in Milan
The 29-year-old has been at the Rossoneri since the summer of 2021 after arriving from Ligue 1 side Lille on the back of keeping 21 clean sheets as the French side stormed to an unlikely title win.
Maignan has continued to excel for AC Milan, helping the team to the Serie A title in 2022 and the Italian Super Cup at the beginning of the 2024/25 season.
The Italian giants had a tough campaign this season and finished in 8th place. They appear to be another transitional period away from competing at the top of Serie A, and with Maignan’s contract set to expire next summer, a move always appeared likely.
His form since moving to Italy has seen him become France’s number one, and he was in goal for his nation’s penalty shoot-out win over Croatia in March that led to a place in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
Chelsea are in negotiations for his signature, but the deal may be on the verge of collapse.
Valuation Gap Emerges as Chelsea Consider Current Options
The sticking point in this deal appears to be the fact that the goalkeeper has just a year left on his current deal, the Blues seemingly wanting a cut-price deal to sign the player this summer.
According to Fabrizio Romano on X, there is a large valuation gap between the two clubs. AC Milan are reportedly seeking €30 million (approx £25 million) to sanction a sale, and the Blues are willing to part with just €10 million (approx £8 million).
Romano states that the Premier League side will not ‘wait longer than Monday’ for a deal to be concluded as they are happy with the four goalkeepers currently on the books at the club.
It is unclear how happy they are with their current options, considering they have targeted one of the best keepers in the world as an upgrade on first-choice Sanchez.
The Blues have become accustomed to big outlays in recent transfer windows and may be adopting their current stance to drive down the transfer fee requested from the Serie A outfit.
Either way, it should be anticipated that the Blues will sign a top goalkeeper in the summer as they are set to embark on a return to the Champions League next season.