Cameron Smith
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea
© IMAGO
Chelsea have decided against pursuing a deal for Mike Maignan in 2026, while they have also cooled their interest in Aston Villa superstar Morgan Rogers.
The Blues were linked with both players over the summer, however they opted against matching AC Milan’s €30 million asking price for Maignan and a deal for Rogers failed to materialise.
Instead, Enzo Maresca’s side decided to retain first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after his impressive displays at the Club World Cup and they eventually agreed a deal to sign Facundo Buonanotte on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion after missing out on Rogers.
Chelsea have been tipped to rekindle their interest in both Maignan and Rogers next year, but they will not sign either player, according to The Athletic" href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6844622/2025/12/02/transfer-latest-2026-january-summer-man-utd-arsenal-liverpool-real-madrid/" target="_blank">The Athletic.
The west London giants are reportedly happy with their current goalkeeper roster of Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen and Mike Penders, who is on loan at Strasbourg for the 2025-26 season, while their transfer strategy means they will not pursue a deal for Rogers.
Chelsea are set to target a “rising talent rather than a finished article” next year and a €100m move for the Aston Villa star is extremely unlikely to take place, especially given he recently penned fresh terms with Unai Emery’s side.
Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa
© IMAGO - Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa
Chelsea’s transfer plan confirmed
With proposed deals for Maignan and Rogers off the table, Chelsea are instead set to target the best wonderkids from across world football yet again next year.
They have already agreed deals for Geovany Quenda, Emanuel Emegha, Dastan Satpaev and Denner to join the club in 2026, while Deinner Ordonez will arrive from Independiente del Valle in January 2028.
In regards to exits, Chelsea are eager to offload Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi during the upcoming January transfer window, with academy starlet Tyrique George also potentially set to be sold amid significant interest from several Premier League clubs.
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