Chelsea are back in Premier League action on Saturday when they face high-flying Everton.
The West London side were as high as second in the Premier League table at one point in November, but now sit fifth in the standings after picking up just a single point from their last two games in the competition.
The Blues were also beaten 2-1 by Atalanta in the Champions League group phase on Tuesday night, inflicting a damaging blow to their hopes of qualifying automatically for the next round of the competition.
Off the pitch, however, it appears that Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of a Frenchman.
As per TEAMtalk, Chelsea are currently in pole position to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan next summer.
The France international’s contract with the Italian giants is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, and several clubs have been showing interest in the 30-year-old.
Maignan could join Chelsea next year (Photo: Sportimage Ltd/Alamy)
German champions Bayern Munich and Italian giants Juventus are both said to have been in the race to land the ‘keeper, but it is Chelsea who are currently said to be leading the race.
Maignan joined Milan from French side Lille in 2021 and has since kept 67 clean sheets in 179 appearances for the club across all competitions.
Milan are said to be working hard to agree a new deal with the goalkeeper, although the Italian giants are not overly confident that an agreement can be reached.
With that in mind, the report suggests that the player himself is currently leaning towards the idea of departing Milan next year, with Chelsea his most likely destination.
Over the summer, Chelsea tabled an offer for Maignan and agreed personal terms with the Frenchman, although they couldn’t reach an agreement with their Italian counterparts.