Chelsea expect to sign 'untouchable' 32-time international before Club World Cup - he nearly signed in 2024

Premier League heavyweights Chelsea are believed to be closing in on a statement signing which is likely to be completed before the start of the Club World Cup, according to reports.

TBR Football journalist Graeme Bailey claims the Blues are expecting to sign Mike Maignan in the coming days so that they can have the Frenchman registered in their squad before Tuesday’s first summer transfer deadline.

This summer has been split into two windows, with the first running from Sunday, 1 June and running until 7pm on Tuesday, June 10 to accommodate for the inaugural edition of the Club World Cup following the format change.

Chelsea edge closer to Mike Maignan transfer

Chelsea have already bolstered their attacking options with the £30m signing of Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap, and now they are expected to make the goalkeeping department their main priority.

The Blues currently have Robert Sanchez and Filip Jörgensen on the books along with returning loanees Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is poised to move to Arsenal for just £5m after a seven year association with the club, and Djordje Petrovic, who enjoyed a hugely impressive loan spell with Strasbourg in France.

However, Enzo Maresca is not believed to have sufficient trust in any of the existing cohort of goalkeepers and is instead looking to sign Mike Maignan in a bid to take the team to the next level.

The 32-time international currently has 12 months remaining on his AC Milan deal and it’s widely understood that Chelsea have offered around £15m for his services. However, TBR expects the two clubs to reach an agreement at a figure of around £20m instead due to Maignan’s achievements with the San Siro side and the fact he’s club captain.

Maignan has been on Maresca’s radar since the Italian arrived at Chelsea, according to Fabrizio Romano, who claimed the Blues had made a move for the 29-year-old in 2024 before being rebuffed by the Italian giants when they described the goalkeeper as ‘untouchable’.

Why Chelsea are interested in Mike Maignan

Chelsea had to wait until the final day of the season to confirm their place in the Champions League despite looking like a team with the potential to flirt with the title in the early part of last season.

The Blues endured a collapse of form in the mid-part of the season which they ultimately bounced back from but a large portion of the criticism was directed at Sanchez, who was dropped throughout February before being recalled to the starting line-up in March.

Overall, Sky Sports claims Sanchez made five errors leading to goals which is the joint most of any player in the league and almost double that of Chelsea’s second highest player for errors Marc Cucurella, who had three.

Mike Maignan is viewed as an improvement on what they have at the moment. The Frenchman started his career at Lille and became a regular in 2015 before joining AC Milan in 2021.

Over the course of his career, he’s won league titles in France and Italy while also winning the Coppa Italia. He made the Team of the Year on three occasions across both leagues and was named as the goalkeeper of the tournament at Euro 2024.

Maignan is renowned for his excellent shot-stopping ability, positional sense and speed off his line. He’s also strong with the ball at his feet and is known for being an excellent organiser of his defence.

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