Chelsea have ended talks to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan ahead of the Club World Cup transfer deadline on Tuesday night.
The Blues were unwilling to match the Rossoneri’s price tag, which was believed to be around €30m (£25.4m).
Enzo Maresca’s side made two separate bids for Maignan, the second of which was reportedly €15m (£12.7m).
There was hope that a compromise could be reached, with the potential of including performance-related add-ons in the deal, but discussions have now stopped without a successful conclusion.
Why weren’t Chelsea willing to match Maignan’s valuation?
Writing in The Athletic‘s Transfer Dealsheet column, journalists Simon Johnson and James Horncastle pointed to one key factor related to a previous transfer:
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“Chelsea see the sale of Christian Pulisic to Milan in 2023 for €20m as part of their reasoning. The U.S. international also had just 12 months left on his contract, but was six years younger. Pulisic also plays in a position that commands higher fees.”
Milan, on the other hand, disagreed with this rationale. They felt that keeping France’s no.1 for another season was worth more than receiving €15m to €20m.
Where does this leave the club’s search for a new goalkeeper?
The message from the club is that they are still happy with their goalkeeping options but reports from elsewhere suggest that head coach Enzo Maresca had made Maignan a top priority. He was keen to make use of the 29-year-old’s experience and passing range.
Maresca is said to be not content with heading into next season with either Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen or Djordje Petrovic as his number one.
A move for Maignan could still be revived after the Club World Cup but the likelihood is that Chelsea will now pursue other targets instead.
In other news, reports indicate that Chelsea have been speaking to the agents of an Aston Villa player