Chelsea have reportedly been in contact with AC Milan over a potential transfer move for French goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
It seems there is some uncertainty over Maignan’s future at the San Siro, and one imagines he’ll have plenty of suitors if he ends up leaving this summer.
Chelsea are apparently one of the main clubs interested in the 29-year-old, along with Aston Villa, while Milan would likely ask for around €40m to let him go, according to Fichajes.
Chelsea seem to have the most concrete interest for the time being, which makes sense as they so urgently need an upgrade on the struggling Robert Sanchez.
Still, it seems Villa are there too, according to the report, despite Unai Emery already having the excellent Emiliano Martinez to call on as his number one.
Mike Maignan to Chelsea or Aston Villa?
Maignan might well be keen on a new challenge after a few years at Milan, with the Premier League arguably the pinnacle of world football right now.
The France international will surely want to play at the very highest level, and that would likely make a move to England tempting for him.
Still, it wouldn’t necessarily be that easy to choose between Chelsea and Villa right now.
CFC might have been the bigger and more successful name in recent decades, but they’re going through a transitional period under their new ownership.
Villa, meanwhile, are very much a club on the up, and it might be tempting for Maignan to link up with a proven top coach like Emery.
Having said that, the presence of Martinez would surely be an issue, with Maignan surely a lot more likely to be number one if he went to Chelsea.
Sanchez has been poor for Enzo Maresca’s side, and so it could work well for all parties involved if he’s replaced by a proven elite ‘keeper like Maignan.
