Chelsea set for Mike Maignan disappointment! AC Milan goalkeeper on course to snub Blues transfer

Maignan had been widely expected to walk away from Milan in the summer when his current deal expires, with little in the way of progress in contract talks in 2025. However, it seems the Rossoneri have finally made a breakthrough amid their determination to keep the 30-year-old. According to Fabrice Hawkins, the player is now in advanced negotiations to extend his stay at the club by another five years, although no final agreement has been reached as yet.

The news will come as significant blow to Chelsea, who had seemingly earmarked the highly-rated stopper to become their new first-choice goalkeeper once he had come to the end of his time at San Siro. In the summer of 2025, the Blues pushed hard to sign Maignan before the Club World Cup in the United States, seeing a lowball €15 million (£13m/$17.5m) offer rejected ahead of the tournament. It was reported at the time that the player was keen on the move, but Milan held firm and the west Londoners didn't revisit their interest later in the summer. It's said that Massimiliano Allegri played a role in keeping hold of the club's skipper having just taken the reins at the time.

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Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani denied claims that Maignan had tried to force his way out, saying: "There was interest from an English club, it was not considered an interesting interest from the club's point of view. Mike was and is an important player for Milan, and his agent was also very correct. There was openness to this interest but at the same time there was an interest on their part, not a forcing or a push, to stay at Milan. Then in the medium-long term future, those who live will see."

Juventus have also since been credited with an interest. In an update in December, Milan's sporting director Igli Tare said: "We have never talked about numbers. Talking about Mike is easy, he is an extraordinary boy and a great leader. He likes being at Milan and Milan likes him being here, but now let's think about the game and then we will talk about it."

While Maignan is not guaranteed to commit his future to the Rossoneri, it looks likely that Chelsea will have to turn their attentions elsewhere when it comes to levelling up their goalkeeping department. Much-maligned current No.1 Robert Sanchez has seen his stock rise over the last year or so, but the position is still widely viewed as a weak point that needs to be strengthened. Whether incoming Blues head coach Liam Rosenior shares that view remains to be seen. He will be watching on closely from the stands when his new club make the short journey to face Fulham in a west London derby on Wednesday night.