Chelsea have abandoned hope of signing AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan in time for the Club World Cup, a report has claimed.
With Maignan threatening to let his contract run down and leave on a free transfer next summer, Chelsea have been chasing the French stopper’s signature this month and wanted him in place in time for the Club World Cup.
The first transfer window closes on Tuesday, after which Chelsea will need to submit their squad for the group stage of the Club World Cup.
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Having failed with an offer worth £15 million ($20.3 million), Gianluca Di Marzio states Chelsea returned with a second bid of £18 million ($24.4 million) in an attempt to reach an agreement with Milan.
The proposal is believed to have fallen short of the initially quoted price tag of around £21 million ($28.5 million), but Chelsea hoped Maignan’s determination to make the move to Stamford Bridge would convince Milan to soften their stance.
According to Fabrizio Romano, negotiations between the two clubs have broken down, with Chelsea walking away over a refusal to pay what is described as a “Club World Cup tax” on Maignan’s transfer fee.
With Maignan not arriving before the deadline, Chelsea will have to travel to the Club World Cup with their existing goalkeepers. Robert Sánchez and Filip Jörgensen will both hope for minutes, while young Mike Penders could make his debut after joining from Genk.
However, clubs competing at the Club World Cup will be given an additional registration window, between June 27 and July 3, to make a limited number of changes to their squads, so Maignan—or any other new signing—could feature in the knockout stages if Chelsea advance.
The Blues are also working on a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens before the deadline, with the Englishman believed to be the priority signing at this point.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea ‘Forced Into Mike Maignan Decision’ As Club World Cup Deadline Looms.
