Mike Maignan is giving strong thought to the idea of joining Chelsea, forcing aC Milan to look into potential replacements.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes this morning, after the exit of Tijjani Reijnders it is now Maignan’s name in the spotlight. The fans are growing anxious because, despite the enthusiasm about the Luka Modric news, they can’t figure out what kind of team Massimiliano Allegri will coach.
Maignan is also being lured by English sirens, Chelsea in his case. However, there is a substantial difference from the Reijnders issue: for the Blues there is no absolute need to sign him by the start of the Club World Cup. In short, there is no rush because they have four goalkeepers already.
A big distance
That said, the interest is still real. Chelsea have their eye on Maignan, and certainly not since yesterday. The problem, for Milan, is that Mike is thinking very seriously about it. To be honest: at the moment his orientation leans towards leaving and not to staying.
In practical terms, however, the Blues have not yet made an official offer. It will arrive, because Maignan is a specific request from Enzo Maresca. Regardless of their respective wishes, it does not look like a simple negotiation.
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Photos: Marco Luzzani + Stefano Guidi/Getty Images
In fact, Milan will not listen to figures below €30m, while Chelsea are thinking €15-20m is enough, leveraging the fact that the Frenchman’s contract expires next year. In short, the distance is considerable and that is also why the Londoners are in no hurry.
To summarise, Chelsea are saying: ‘If we sign him, it will be on our term’s. It is a concept that also applies to those who sell, obviously. The first concrete contact between the two clubs should take place shortly.
Potential replacements
Meanwhile, Milan are doing everything possible to convince Maignan to stay where he is. In the club’s ideas, he and Rafael Leao are the big names to start from and Allegri has spoken to the Frenchman (and will again) to explain his plans.
With no guarantees of a positives outcome, the Rossoneri must have an alternative solution. The most convincing path currently leads to Mile Svilar, whose meeting with the management of Roma for the renewal did not go as the Giallorossi had hoped.
The goalkeeper met Ghisolfi and Ranieri (in the role of ‘facilitator’), but nothing came of it. The request is €4m net per year to extend, Roma first offered €1.6m and then €2m plus bonuses. The farewell (contract expiring in 2027) is therefore a concrete possibility for the Serbian.
Svilar is very popular with Allegri but there is a ‘low-cost alternative’ in Elia Caprile. He spent the last six months on loan from Napoli to Cagliari, with an option to buy that the Sardinians should not exercise.