Tony Cascarino thought Chelsea were going to target ‘really solid’ goalkeeper instead of Mike Maignan

Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has been discussing the Blues’ search for a new goalkeeper, which could come to an end next week.

Chelsea are interested in signing Mike Maignan and are hoping to agree a deal with AC Milan by Monday.

With the 29-year-old’s contract expiring next summer, the Blues clearly see him as a great opportunity on the market.

Cascarino, though, is surprised that they did not go after another shot-stopper who was also available before he moved club earlier this week.

Tony Cascarino was convinced Chelsea would make move for Caoimhin Kelleher

This year, Chelsea have been linked with Caoimhin Kelleher, but the Blues never made a swoop for him in the end.

The former Liverpool goalkeeper has now ended up at Brentford, and Cascarino is surprised the Bees’ west London rivals never went after him.

When asked about Chelsea‘s interest in Maignan on talkSPORT, the 62-year-old said: “I mean, I really thought they were going to have an interest in Kelleher. I thought they were going to have an interest in him.

“I thought that was a really reasonable one because I think he’s a really solid keeper. But yeah, Maignan is an option.”

With Kelleher no longer on the market and there being no guarantee of Chelsea signing Maignan, Enzo Maresca could have to make do with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen next season.

Sanchez and Jorgensen were the Chelsea manager‘s first-choice and second-choice keepers last term.

It has been reported that Chelsea and Sanchez could part ways, but failing to land Maignan will increase his chances of remaining in west London.

How Caoimhin Kelleher and Mike Maignan compare

Chelsea fans have seen first-hand how good Kelleher is. The Irishman has denied Chelsea’s attackers in some huge games between the Blues and Liverpool.

That being said, Maignan is still the superior keeper. Last season was not his best at Milan, but he still outperformed Kelleher in key goalkeeping stats.

Ultimately, Chelsea were absolutely right to prioritise signing Maignan over Kelleher. The club now need to get the job done, and if they can, that could help set them up for a good 2025/26 season. With Maignan at the back, Maresca’s team should improve defensively.