Chelsea signed Liam Delap from Ipswich Town earlier this month, but the striker was not the only player the club wanted to bring in before the Club World Cup.
Chelsea were keen on Jamie Gittens, with there being a need for a new winger. Enzo Maresca is lacking options in that position following Jadon Sancho’s exit.
Chelsea also wanted Mike Maignan, but as was the case with Borussia Dortmund and Gittens, the Blues could not agree on a fee with AC Milan.
The opportunity to strengthen in goal still looks to be there for the Conference League winners, though.
Agents offering goalkeepers to Chelsea
If sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley decide that they still want to sign a new goalkeeper, doing so should not be too difficult.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are being offered goalkeepers by agents on a “daily basis”.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: “Let’s see if Chelsea decide to reactivate the Mike Maignan story later in the window or [look at] different goalkeepers because Chelsea are still being offered several goalkeepers on a daily basis.
“The goalkeeper story at Chelsea may not be over, so let’s follow the situation later in the window because there are still movements behind the scenes with many important agents offering Chelsea goalkeepers. They are trusting the ones they have, but this story could still be open with Maignan or any other goalkeeper later in the transfer window.”
There is a long way to go before the transfer window closes, but as of now, Robert Sanchez is Maresca’s first-choice goalkeeper and set to start Chelsea’s first game of the new Premier League season.
The 27-year-old has started both of Chelsea’s matches at the Club World Cup and made 32 appearances in the top flight last term.
While Sanchez is likely to remain at Stamford Bridge, Djordje Petrovic is expected to depart after a successful loan spell at Strasbourg. Chelsea have put Petrovic up for sale after the Serbian demanded to be first-choice goalkeeper.
Chelsea and Mike Maignan update
While Romano is not ruling out Chelsea making another move for Maignan, there is a belief in England that the Blues have no intention of going back to Milan.
Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has claimed that the Maignan chapter is now “closed” for Chelsea.
If the Blues really are done with Maignan, then it is good news for Sanchez, though you suspect a lot of supporters will be disappointed. The Frenchman is one of Europe’s top goalkeepers.
