Six-year contract already agreed as Chelsea submit £12m bid to sign 6ft 3in star
Chelsea have submitted a formal opening bid to sign France international goalkeeper Mike Maignan from AC Milan, according to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Maignan joined the Rossoneri from Lille in 2021 after helping the French outfit clinch their fourth Ligue 1 title and keeping an impressive 21 clean sheets in his 38 appearances for Les Dogues that season.
He wasted no time making an impact — winning the Serie A title in his debut season and later contributing significantly to their Italian Super Cup success last season.
It’s no surprise that Chelsea have him as their prime target, citing his experience and heroics, having won the goalkeeper of the season award three times in his career.
Now, according to Romano, the Blues have submitted a formal opening offer worth £12m to sign the 29-year-old shot-stopper this summer.
While Milan have yet to respond to Chelsea’s offer, the Italian journalist adds that the deal now largely hinges on the Italian club’s decision on whether Chelsea’s bid is deemed sufficient or below their valuation.
While Milan are yet to accept Chelsea’s offer, Maignan appears open to a switch to Stamford Bridge. A separate update from Italian transfer specialist Rudy Galetti indicates that the French shot-stopper has already reached an agreement on personal terms on a six-year deal worth £7m-per-year — and is keen on completing the switch to Stamford Bridge.
Gloves
Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, inherited a large group of players, including no fewer than five senior goalkeepers at the club, and a revamp is now expected.
Alongside Robert Sanchez, there is reserve option Filip Jorgensen, rising 19-year-old prospect Mike Penders, and Djordje Petrovic—while Kepa Arrizabalaga, who spent the previous campaign on loan at Bournemouth, is close to completing a transfer to Arsenal.
Maignan would represent an immediate upgrade among Chelsea’s goalkeeper union and would also become the most senior member of the Chelsea team; at 29, the Frenchman would add significant experience to a vibrant, youthful squad gearing up for the Club World Cup as well as their first return to the UEFA Champions League in two years.
Having already clinched a European title, the West Londoners are looking to build on their fourth-place finish last season with a strong belief that the 6ft 3in shot-stopper can contribute immensely to that ambition.