New AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed that Chelsea target Mike Maignan will stay put this summer.
The 57-year-old was officially unveiled as the Rossoneri’s new head coach at a press conference on Monday, and he was naturally quizzed about transfer speculation.
Among other things, Allegri corroborated that Theo Hernandez is on his way to Al-Hilal and also expressed his belief that star winger Rafael Leao will have a ‘great season,’ confirming that he won’t be sold this summer.
Another player that has dominated the headlines in Italy this summer has been goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who was the subject of a low-ball bid from Chelsea during the mini Club-World Cup window last month.
The Frenchman has just a year to run on his current contract, so Chelsea believed that they could secure his signing for €15 million, a fee Milan rejected out of hand. The Blues were ultimately unwilling to pay more and left the talks.
Maignan to stay at Milan
That was seemingly the end of Chelsea’s interest in the veteran goalkeeper as the Blues have so far refrained from returning for him. Blues boss Enzo Maresca insists that he is happy with his current options, with Maignan viewed merely as a market opportunity, not a necessity.
Now, Allegri has seemingly affirmed that Maignan will not leave Milan this summer despite his contract situation and the consensus that he will not renew his expiring deal.
“I’m very happy he chose to stay,” Allegri confirmed. “He’s the team’s captain, an international player, one of the best in the world. Credit to the club for convincing him to stay.”
This, however, means that Milan are set to lose the 30-year-old for free next year, barring an unexpected change of heart. Should Chelsea retain their interest, they could open talks with him in January over a Bosman deal for summer 2026.
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