If Chelsea do go on to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, it looks like it will be AC Milan and France star Mike Maignan.
Maignan is set on joining Chelsea, who are trying to take advantage of the 29-year-old’s contract situation.
Maignan‘s existing deal expires in 2026, meaning that Milan are at risk of losing him for nothing if they cannot agree a deal with their English counterparts.
The Frenchman, though, is not the only player Chelsea have looked at in their quest to bring a new shot-stopper to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea thought about signing Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Barcelona
Chelsea are reportedly interested in Fermin Lopez, but it appears that the Blues have also considered another Barcelona star.
According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea “gathered information” on Marc-Andre ter Stegen before entering talks with Milan to sign Maignan.
Ter Stegen is an even more experienced goalkeeper than Maignan and has enjoyed great success at Barcelona.
He won the 2014/15 Champions League there and has also managed to get his hands on the La Liga title on six occasions.
For those wanting Chelsea to add more experience to their squad, Ter Stegen would have been the perfect addition at 33. At 29, though, the Blues will not be getting a novice with Maignan.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Mike Maignan’s stats compared
Ter Stegen was only able to make eight appearances in La Liga last season, so when comparing the German to Maignan, it would be better to look at their stats from the 2023/24 campaign.
In several key areas, it was the former who came out on top. For example, Ter Stegen was able to keep 15 clean sheets in La Liga, while Maignan recorded 10 in Serie A.
| Player | Games | Goals against | Goals against per 90 | Save percentage | Clean sheets | Clean sheet percentage | Pass completion |
| Marc-Andre ter Stegen | 28 | 27 | 0.96 | 75.5% | 15 | 53.6% | 89.5% |
| Mike Maignan | 29 | 34 | 1.17 | 77.5% | 10 | 34.5% | 84.1% |
Perhaps, then, Ter Stegen would have been the better signing. However, the Germany international picked up a very bad injury last term and is four years older than Maignan, so Chelsea may get more out of the France star and over a longer period of time.
