Chelsea are considering a move to bring a world-class goalkeeper to the Premier League, with a fresh report revealing that he'd be open to joining the club next summer.
Chelsea's goalkeeping situation
Over the summer, Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino sanctioned the permanent sale of Edouard Mendy who joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, while Kepa Arrizabalaga put pen to paper on loan with La Liga’s Real Madrid for the remainder of the season.
The Blues therefore purchased New England Revolution’s Djordje Petrovic and Brighton’s Robert Sanchez to replace them, and even though the latter has nailed down a regular spot in the starting line-up, the owner is still on the lookout for a permanent number one.
AC Milan’s Mike Maignan has been highlighted as a possible target who would fit the bill, with the shot-stopper having made a total of 84 appearances since joining his side from Lille back in 2021 (Transfermarkt – Maignan statistics).
The France international was the subject of an enquiry from Stamford Bridge during the previous transfer window, and even though a deal failed to come to fruition before the deadline, the 28-year-old is set to receive a second round of interest from the top-flight.
Chelsea interested in Maignan
According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea remain keen on Maignan and it's believed the board want to revisit a move next summer if the right opportunity was to present itself.
"Chelsea have identified AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan as a potential signing as they’re looking for a world-class goalkeeper, sources have told TEAMtalk.
"The French international is a player the club highly admire. That does not guarantee that Chelsea will make a bid for his services but sources state that he would be open to a move in the summer."
Maignan could be a real "giant" for Pochettino
Since the start of his career, Maignan has recorded 102 clean sheets from 271 matches, which shows how good he is at keeping the ball out of his net, but there are also so many more qualities that he possesses which will be attractive to Chelsea.
The 6 foot 3 “giant”, as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has made 25 saves from 38 shots on target against this season, giving him a success rate of 71.1% (FBRef – Maignan statistics), which is higher than Sanchez’s 69.2% (FBRef – Sanchez statistics).
The Cayenne native is even strong in possession when he has the ball at his feet having completed 100% of his short passes and 99.1% of his medium dispatches since the beginning of the campaign, so his range of passing to his outfield teammates is spot on.
According to reports, AC Milan could look to demand £70m in order to sanction the sale of Maignan next summer, but with the player himself keen to get on board, Boehly would surely be happy to cash out to secure the services of his long-term target.
