Chelsea are moving towards bringing a brand new goalkeeper into the club for next season in an attempt to do a large piece of their business early this summer.
The Blues are being strongly linked with the addition of Mike Maignan from AC Milan, with them seeming to not be content with their options going into a campaign with Champions League football to come.
Maignan is far better than Robert Sanchez with the ball at his feet, an area of the game which is crucial in the tactics deployed by current manager Enzo Maresca.
It has even been reported that Milan are looking at Maignan replacements already. Former Chelsea target Vanja Milinkovic-Savic is being tracked for if the Frenchman leaves the club.
AC Milan name new price tag for Mike Maignan
Despite this, the Blues will still need to go through the negotiation stage, with the Serie A side demanding a fee as he enters the final year of his current contract.
According to Di Marzio, Chelsea have been asked to pay a fee of £25m to sign the experienced shot stopper this summer.
On paper, the deal looks extremely achievable for Chelsea. They would be paying the same amount they did to sign Sanchez two years ago.
Maignan being more experienced is not only key for the current defence, but also in bridging the gap until Mike Penders is ready to take the gloves. Penders is expected to go to the Club World Cup this summer.
Maignan’s stance on joining Chelsea
Despite spending a number of seasons at the San Siro now, reports have hinted that he is looking to move on after a refusal to sign a new deal.
It has also been claimed that Maignan has said yes to the prospect of moving to Stamford Bridge, surely encouraging Chelsea to push on with the deal.
Blues supporters have called for the club to sign players who have experience at the top level of the game, and the French goalkeeper ticks that box as well as being a quality shot stopper.
With the potential deal being approved by Maresca, this is one Chelsea need to get done as soon as possible, and make a real statement to the rest of the league in the process.
