Chelsea and one other Premier League club have reportedly been alerted to the possibility of a cut-price deal for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan this summer.
The Rossoneri have endured a miserable Serie A campaign under the wings of Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao, currently sitting ninth in the Serie A table with a six-point gap to the top four.
Milan also suffered a chastening Champions League playoff exit at the hands of Feyenoord, leaving the seven-time European champions at serious risk of missing out on continental football altogether next season.
Should the Rossoneri fail to make it into Europe for 2025-26, their finances will be heavily impacted, so the board will likely give the green light to a couple of high-profile exits this summer to help balance the books.
One player who is expected to be in high demand is number one goalkeeper Maignan, as TEAMtalk claims that Chelsea and Villa are 'strongly considering' an approach for the Frenchman this summer.
Chelsea alerted to 'bargain' Maignan possibility?
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Maignan won the Ligue 1 title with Lille in the 2020-21 season before moving to San Siro, where he has continued to elevate his reputation as one of the best goalkeepers on the continent with 55 clean sheets from 151 appearances.
The 29-year-old has also succeeded Hugo Lloris as France's new number one, and he saved two penalties in Les Bleus' dramatic UEFA Nations League quarter-final win over Croatia last weekend.
However, Maignan's Milan deal only runs until the summer of 2026, and the report claims that Chelsea and Villa have been alerted to the prospect of a 'bargain' transfer for the former Lille man this summer.
Milan are said to have reached an advanced stage in contract talks with the Frenchman, but if an agreement cannot be reached before the summer window opens, they will reportedly halve their initial valuation of €80m (£66.6m).
As a result, Chelsea could pick up the 1995-born goalkeeper for as little as €40m (£33.3m) ahead of the 2025-26 season, and unlike Villa, the Blues have been in 'constant contact' with Maignan's entourage.
In contrast, Villa are supposedly yet to make any concrete moves to sign the France international at the end of the season, but they will be running the rule over him between now and the end of the season.
Chelsea's Maignan move a sensible solution to disastrous situation
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If Maignan was to swap San Siro for Stamford Bridge this summer, the Frenchman would surely become Chelsea's new number one right away following an error-strewn campaign from Robert Sanchez.
The Spaniard's performances have been rightly criticised, as he has made five errors directly leading to a goal in the 2024-25 Premier League season, the joint-most in the league alongside Ipswich Town's Arijanet Muric.
Sanchez was incredibly shaky during Chelsea's 1-0 loss to Arsenal before the international break, and he was briefly demoted for deputy Filip Jorgensen, but the Scandinavian has also failed to convince.
Furthermore, this summer could also be one that Kepa Arrizabalaga finally moves on for good, and his current loan club Bournemouth have apparently made a decision whether to try for a permanent deal.
Ben Knapton
