Why AC Milan Goalkeeper Mike Maignan Became A Chelsea Transfer Target

Forbes

3 days ago

Mike Maignan in action for France against Croatia (Photo by Franco Arland - UEFA/UEFA via Getty ... More Images)
After a positive end to the 2024/25 campaign, Chelsea are not resting on their laurels. Seeking to make improvements to their squad, the Premier League club have identified AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan as a major transfer target.
According to Sky Italia, a fee of around £25 million ($33.82 million) should be enough to convince the Rossoneri to sell the France international who is reportedly keen to make the move to the UEFA Conference League winners.
Maignan is currently paid €4 million ($5.41 million) per season by Milan, but with his current deal set to expire in June 2026, the San Siro outfit know this summer is their last chance to profit from his exit.
After emerging from the PSG youth setup Maignan has proven to be a serial winner, lifting the Ligue 1 title with Lille in 2020/21 after keeping an impressive 21 clean sheets in his 38 appearances.
It was then that Milan came calling, the shot stopper joining the Italian giants in a €15 million ($20.29 million) switch to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma who had left for PSG that same summer.
Maignan would have an instant impact on Stefano Pioli's side, keeping 17 clean sheets in 32 outings as the Rossoneri won the Serie A title for the first time since 2011 with the Coach clearly impressed by the man between the sticks.
'His communication and presence in the game impressed me,' Pioli told L'Equipe. 'I was sure he was a very good goalkeeper, but he turned out to be even better than I thought. He is very meticulous in preparing for games; he is a player who wants to continually grow.
'It is exhausting to train him, because he asks a lot. But it is also great, because he is motivated. When you're always the one, the coach, who has to motivate everyone else, there's always something missing after a while. And Mike, he doesn't lack anything.'
The two would work together until Pioli's contract expired in June 2024, and the past year has seen managerial turmoil besiege Milan. Paulo Fonseca was sacked in December, while the end of the season saw the club decide to end Sergio Conceicao's tenure after an eighth-place finish.
That meant no European football next term, but it has not diminished Maignan's quality as he made 98 saves across 37 league appearances as Milan also lost the Coppa Italia Final to Bologna.
That defeat was analysed in this previous column, while only three goalkeepers – Alex Meret (Napoli), Mile Svilar (AS Roma) and Michele Di Gregorio (Juventus) managed more clean sheets than the Milan man's tally of 13.
Now the Rossoneri Captain, figures from FotMob show Maignan saved 70.7% of the shots he faced and connected with 84.7% of his passes, highlighting his ability to quickly launch his side into attack.
Those figures stack up well against Chelsea's current goalkeepers, with Robert Sanchez managing just 10 clean sheets, saving 73.6% of shots against him but seeing just 65.3% of his passes completed.
There will of course need to be something of a clear out at Stamford Bridge, where Enzo Maresca finds himself overseeing a bloated squad that currently includes no fewer than five goalkeepers.
In addition to Sanchez, there is backup Filip Jorgensen as well as promising 19-year-old Mike Penders, while Djordje Petrovic and Kepa Arrizabalaga – who spent last season on loan at Bournemouth – will both return from loan.
Maignan would be an instant upgrade on that group and would also become Chelsea's oldest player, the 29-year-old bringing a wealth of experience to an exciting young squad that will be in the UEFA Champions League next term.
With one European trophy already secured, Enzo Maresca and Chelsea are seeking to build on the fourth-place finish secured on the final day and believe Mike Maignan can help them do just that.