AC Milan will reportedly make one last attempt to convince Mike Maignan to extend his contract after Chelsea failed in their bid to sign the Frenchman before the Club World Cup.
A new goalkeeper ranks among Chelsea’s transfer priorities this summer, and they identified France’s number one as the man they wanted to bring in.
The Blues, however, fell short of Milan’s reported £21 million ($28.5 million) valuation of Maignan, who has threatened to run down his contract at San Siro and depart for nothing next summer. Thus, a deal wasn’t struck before the start of the tournament, but the Premier League club could later return with another proposal.
Chelsea’s early window failure has handed Milan an opportunity to charm Maignan, and CalcioMercato claim the Serie A giants intend to make another attempt at convincing the goalkeeper to commit his future to the Rossoneri.
Negotiations with the 29-year-old have so far been complicated and Milan have been accused of promising Maignan a renewal without putting anything down on paper. Irked, Maignan has been open to new opportunities and a move to the Premier League continues to intrigue him.
However, Milan hope that the arrival of Massimiliano Allegri and venerated goalkeeper coach Claudio Filippi will help convince their number one to stick around in Lombardy for the long haul. Contact is expected to be made with the Frenchman this week following the conclusion of the June international break.
As for Chelsea, Maresca described their goalkeeper situation for the Club World Cup as "simple", saying: "Robert [Sanchez] is No.1, Filip [Jørgensen] is No.2, and we will analyse and judge [Mike] Penders. Maignan and different players at other clubs - I don't think it is worth talking about them."
The Blues will hope that Milan’s charm offensive fails to do the trick, allowing them to continue the pursuit of their primary target. A potential free transfer next summer also hasn’t been ruled out.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: AC Milan's Plan for Contract Rebel Mike Maignan, Chelsea Wait.
