Mike Maignan sends fresh message amid Chelsea transfer links as new £25m stance made clear

Mike Maignan has shown once again why Chelsea are huge admirers of the France goalkeeper.

football.london understands the Blues have approached AC Milan about Maignan, and talks with the Italian club have been ongoing ever since. The player has been on their radar for several years and is approaching the final 12 months of his current contract at the Rossoneri.

Chelsea see the current situation as an opportunity to acquire a world-class goalkeeper this summer. He was named in the European Championship team of the tournament in Germany last summer and has twice made the Serie A team of the year.

football.london understands Milan were demanding £25million, a price the club had reservations over due to the player’s age – Maignan turns 30 next month – and contractual situation. La Gazzetta dello Sport now claim that the expectation is they will reach a compromise of €18m (£15m).

The Blues are also said to have tried including Djordje Petrovic or Kepa Arrizabalaga in any deal. Milan are said to have Mile Svilar of Roma, who was named best goalkeeper in Serie A last season, as their top target to replace Maignan, with Elia Caprile and Zion Suzuki as alternatives.

And the 29-year-old has been demonstrating his talents during the international break for France, having kept a clean sheet in their 2-0 win over Germany in the Nations League third-placed playoff. Maignan was named man of the match with six saves in total on Sunday.

Recent contract talks with Milan are said to have left the Frenchman disappointed. It is claimed they agreed on a €5m, four-year extension, only for the club to backtrack because of the player’s performance and physical condition over the final months of the 2024/25 campaign.

Newly reappointed Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri is said to have tried to convince the goalkeeper to stay. He reputedly would have been happy for Maignan to stay, but the feeling is seemingly not mutual.