Mike Maignan is expected to join Chelsea in the coming days and AC Milan have zoned in one two potential replacements.
After the sale of Tijjani Reijnders to Manchester City, there has been an abundance of rumours about further big-name exits, with Maignan and Theo Hernandez at the centre. They both have 12 months left on their deal, which doesn’t give Milan much leverage.
Maignan replacements identified
According to this morning’s edition of Tuttosport (via MilanNews), the sale of Maignan to Chelsea is ‘likely to be finalised very soon’ as the Blues would like to take him to the Club World Cup in the United States.
The Premier League side must increase their offer because the €15m bid put on the table is not enough. At €18-20m it could be closed, with the Rossoneri asking for €23m, but the window to sign him for the FIFA CWC runs out at midnight tomorrow.
It’s no secret that Massimiliano Allegri would like to keep him, but Maignan wants to move and has been pushing for a transfer to Chelsea for days. For this reason, the management are already working to find a replacement.
Maignan Chelsea emblem
Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images
Milan already have two names in mind who could potentially replace him. The favourite is Mile Svilar of Roma, while the alternative is Vanja Milinkovic Savic of Torino, a much cheaper option costing about half has much.
Svilar’s renewal with Roma is up in the air, while his agents have already met with Milan’s sporting director Igli Tare, who has put on the table a five-year deal worth €3.3m net per year to try to convince him to join. The problem, however, is Roma’s request for €40m.
The alternative is a Milinkovic-Savic, whose agent is Mateja Kezman, with whom Tare has had an excellent relationship since 2015 when he brought his older brother Sergej to Lazio. The Torino No.1 has given the green light to join the Rossoneri, has verbally agreed a four-year deal and costs €20m.