Enzo Maresca is not convinced by goalkeeping options at the club.Enzo Maresca is not convinced by goalkeeping options at the club.
Enzo Maresca is not convinced by goalkeeping options at the club. | AFP via Getty Images
The Club World Cup is looming large for Chelsea amid transfer attempts to sign a new goalkeeper.
Chelsea have given up on their transfer pursuit of AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan ahead of the Club World Cup but, with any sense, the London outfit will be spending the first Deadline Day of the summer working on another deal.
Enzo Maresca is known to be unconvinced by his options of Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, swapping between the two last season amid high profile mistakes. A new goalkeeper is set to arrive this summer and Chelsea have been pushing to sort that deal before the Club World Cup.
Chelsea sent Mike Maignan transfer update
Taking to social media platform X, he wrote: “Mike Maignan deal now OFF between Chelsea and AC Milan. Chelsea not willing to meet Milan price, deal not proceeding in time for Club World Cup as #CFC won’t pay “CWC tax”. #CFC maintain full trust in Petrović, Sánchez, Jorgensen + talent Mike Penders for GK role.”
While Romano claims that Chelsea are maintaining trust in their options so far, their rushed move to sign Maignan clearly points to that not being the case. If Chelsea want to be at their best for the Club World Cup, they should make the most of the adjusted early window and sign a goalkeeper, even if that comes with a ‘CWC tax’.
If it’s not Maignan, perhaps it could be Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford. Brokering that deal from nothing in a matter of hours would be impossible but Chelsea were credited with having made initial contact with the Clarets already. Writing earlier this month, journalist Jacob Steinberg said: “As well as asking Milan about signing Mike Maignan, Chelsea have also enquired about Burnley’s James Trafford. Stronger recent interest in Trafford coming from Newcastle though.”
Blues should hijack Newcastle United James Trafford move
Indeed, reports today suggest that Newcastle United are making strong moves to bring Trafford to St James’ Park. The Shields Gazette carries reports of talks between the clubs with a £30 million price tag put on Trafford by the newly promoted side.
It’s unknown how far those reported Chelsea talks with Burnley went but it’s a move that the club should be trying to push through today - not only to beat the deadline and have Trafford available for the Club World Cup, but to beat Newcastle United too.
The £30 million fee would be a coup for Trafford, who is 22 years old and already blooded in the Premier League thanks to his time at Burnley. The goalkeeper kept a huge 29 clean sheets last season, conceding 15 goals, and is going to just keep getting better and better.
Newcastle United have the upper hand having agreed personal terms with Trafford last summer before Burnley blocked a move, but Sky Sports claim that the Clarets man would have to compete with Nick Pope at first on Tyneside. Given Chelsea’s precarious goalkeeping situation, they could perhaps offer Trafford a more consistent starting role from the off.
That’s clearly Trafford’s ambition. He’s an ambitious goalkeeper wanting to start games in the top flight straight away. He said: “That's where I've always been aiming for, the top of the Prem. Everyone wants to go there and everyone wants to play there. I know that to get there you need to play games so that when I do go back, to wherever I end up, whenever, I'm ready for it and the best equipped to perform.”
It seems a no brainer for Chelsea to at least be exploring those talks previously held. A £30 million investment in Trafford is a bargain and the sooner he arrives, the sooner he can learn Maresca’s ways ahead of the upcoming campaign.
In other news, 'There will be more' - Chelsea transfer bid could become saga due to club's patient stance.
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