Chelsea's pursuit of Mike Maignan may have received a huge helping hand, with the Italian media, via Tribal Football, reporting that the player has refused to discuss fresh terms with AC Milan and could now leave.
How good is Mike Maignan?
The shot-stopper currently plays in Italy and has slowly established himself as Milan's first-choice option inbetween the sticks, despite having only played for the side for two seasons now.
In his first campaign in Serie A, he helped them to a league title with only 21 goals conceded in 32 games, but his minutes tailed off in 2022/23 due to an injury. In that most recent season, he played on 22 occasions and conceded 21 again, as the side dipped to fourth in the standings.
Even though his playing time fell, he still ranks as one of the best in his position across Europe. When you compare Maignan to othe 'keepers across the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues, his 50% save rate for penalty kicks puts him in the 92nd percentile there while his rate of goals against puts him comfortably in the 89th percentile.
What's the latest transfer news on Maignan?
Despite being successful so far in Milan, reports from the Italian media, via Tribal Football, suggest that the player will not be agreeing a new contract at San Siro, or even engage in talks with them.
That could mean he is available on a deal this summer, with Premier League sides Chelsea and Man United ready to pounce to bring in the 27-year-old and the player himself keen to explore something new.
Whilst he wouldn't be cheap – the asking price for the shot-stopper could be a whopping 70 million Euros (or £60m) – it appears as though a deal is doable. That is because interested parties such as the Blues are being told by intermediaries to go in with a formal bid.
Maignan has been praised for his performances in Italy with AC Milan over the last few years, with football journalist Josh Bunting for example calling the player "impressive" in the past.
His aforementioned stats certainly back that up and if he did make the move to Chelsea, then it would surely help solidify their backline given their struggles in the goalkeeper department this season.