Chelsea wanted to sign €80 million-rated goalkeeper in the summer - Reports
Chelsea undoubtedly have strong depth in every position, but their goalkeeping options could have taken a different direction this season. Reports from Corriere dello Sport indicate that the Blues made several inquiries to sign AC Milan’s Mike Maignan over the summer.
Last season, Mauricio Pochettino was certainly not content with his goalkeepers, as he used both Robert Sanchez and Dorde Petrovic due to the former’s inconsistency. This season, Chelsea signed Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal for a reported fee of £20.7 million (€24.78m). The keeper has just made three appearances so far in the Carabao Cup and the two-legged Conference League qualifier.
Enzo Maresca has favored Sanchez as the starting goalkeeper, but his decision might have been different had Mike Maignan joined. According to Corriere dello Sport, Chelsea made several approaches to AC Milan for the Frenchman, who was valued at €80 million - a substantial fee that may have deterred the Blues, who had already spent heavily in bolstering their attack during the summer.
The report also mentioned Bayern Munich’s interest in Maignan, but the keeper appears content at AC Milan, where he has been for the past three years. He is also in negotiations for a new contract, with his current deal expiring at the end of the 2025-26 season.
At present, Sanchez remains Maresca’s first choice in goal, while Jorgensen, aged just 22, is viewed as a promising talent for the future. Meanwhile, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Dorde Petrovic are both out on loan, with the former at Bournemouth and the latter at French side FC Strasbourg.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca discusses his approach to competition for places in the squad
There have been several questions about how Enzo Maresca will manage the competition for places, but so far, the Italian manager has done a commendable job of keeping the players content. However, with the abundance of quality on Chelsea’s bench, it may only be a matter of time before challenges arise.
Despite concerns raised by pundits and fans alike, Maresca remains confident that competition for places is a good headache to have. He said (via football.london):
"It’s a good thing for me to have some doubt. They are doing well, they are doing well when we give the chance to them. This is something important and something we need to continue to do because we can create the right culture in terms of the team competing. This is important.”
“The main thing in this moment, for sure, the results are important but it’s to see how we progress. It’s to see how we can change players but the identity and idea is still there," Maresca added.
Chelsea will face Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, September 28, followed by their opening Conference League game against Gent on Thursday, October 3.