Chelsea are reportedly keen on signing French goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The West London Club have struggled with their goalkeepers since the times of Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois, who were their custodians between 2004 and 2018.
Cech played in almost 500 matches for the Royal Blues, winning multiple silverware for them in the process. Courtois then won the Premier League title with the West Londoners.
However, since Courtois left for Real Madrid in 2018, Chelsea have had somewhat mediocre goalkeepers like Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Robert Sanchez, whose stints at the club have coincided with mediocre runs in the league.
Chelsea finished fourth under Enzo Marseca in the 2024/25 season, but the performance of Sanchez left a lot to be desired. Hence, the Blues have started feeling the need of signing a quality goalkeeper.
Mike Maignan Is on the Chelsea Radar Now
Maignan has spent four seasons at AC Milan, winning the Serie A title with the Rossoneri in 2022.
He has played in 163 matches for Milan and, at 29, might be looking for new challenges at club level.
Maignan has also earned 32 international caps for France and has emerged as the No. 1 goalkeeper of his country since the retirement of World Cup winner Hugo Lloris.
Maignan has been one of the best performers for Milan during the last four seasons. He also won the Ligue 1 title with Lille before going to Milan, showing that he is a custodian who can be trusted in a marathon league campaign.
The Frenchman is a very good shot-stopper and can be a formidable presence inside his own penalty box despite not being very tall.
Maresca is reportedly keen on getting his services for Chelsea for the next season onwards.
Sanchez’s contract with Chelsea expires in 2030, as he had signed a seven-year deal in 2023. However, it seems very unlikely that he will see through that contract.
Sanchez has kept 10 clean sheets in the 2024/25 season in the Premier League, but the club reportedly want an upgrade on him.
Maignan’s contract with AC Milan expires in June 2026, but the French goalkeeper has made it clear that he will not renew it with the Italian side.
Playing in the Premier League is a dream for many top players, and Maignan seems to be no exception in this regard.
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The Lure of the Champions League
Milan finished eighth in the Serie A table in 2024/25, which means that there will be no European football for them next season.
It must have propelled Maignan to make his stance clear, as Chelsea will be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season.
Milan reached the Champions League semifinal in 2023, but their form in Europe since then has not been anything special.
Maignan will hope to play in Europe’s premier club competition by signing with Chelsea this summer.
The Blues have reportedly made an initial offer of £12 million for the French goalkeeper, but it seems to have failed on the outset. However, AC Milan are reportedly demanding a price of £21 million.
As of now, Maignan remains at Milan, but is seriously eyeing a move to West London at the moment.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Buzzi
Recording Date: 08.06.2025