Mike Maignan is just one step away from joining Chelsea in an €18m deal, and if the latest reports are to be believed, AC Milan fans have CEO Giorgio Furlani to blame for it all.
Since Maignan only has one year left on his contract, one could argue that getting €18m is better than zero. However, considering the quality and true value of the goalkeeper, it’s clear that everyone should be very disappointed with his exit.
There used to be a time when Milan asked for around €80m to part ways with the goalkeeper, and it’s a figure that many clubs seemed willing to pay. Not to mention that he’s still considered to be one of the best in the world, which makes him very difficult to replace.
Furlani pays a heavy price for his words
As reported by Daniele Longo last night, the story gets even more frustrating. After reaching an agreement in principle for a contract renewal at the start of the year, everything was put on hold as Furlani made his now-infamous trip to New York, where he met the owner Gerry Cardinale.
Furlani and Cardinale summit
Photos by AC Milan
The CEO promised Maignan that the final details for the renewal would be sorted out after his trip to the United States. However, time went by and the goalkeeper never heard anything from the management, resulting in ‘great disappointment’ from the No.16’s side.
In many ways, especially since he had a few tough performances in and around that period, Maignan felt abandoned by the club. As such, when Chelsea came knocking and offered him Premier League football, as well as Champions League football, he owed nothing to Milan.