Chelsea preparing bid to sign France international ‘as good as anyone’ in the world in January

Add as preferred source on Google

TBR Football understands that Chelsea remain interested in Mike Maignan and are ready to make a move to land him on a pre-contract in January.

Chelsea made a bid for Maignan in June before the Club World Cup, but they failed to agree on terms with AC Milan, despite an agreement being in place with the French international.

But TBR Football can now reveal that Chelsea remain interested in Maignan, with sources within the club believing that they feel Maignan is ‘as good as anyone’ in the world.

Now, the chance to potentially land the 30-year-old on a free transfer next summer is a huge appeal to the West London club.

Exclusive: Chelsea confident about signing Mike Maignan

Mike Maignan did not push for a summer move to Chelsea following their failed bid because of the appointment of Massimiliano Allegri in July, sources have told TBR Football chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

Allegri immediately confirmed that Maignan would remain as captain of the club and that him staying was a key factor in him agreeing to take the job.

Milan hope that the combination of Allegri and an improved outlook for the club will persuade Maignan to sign a new contract.

However, TBR Football has been told that, as it stands, Maignan has backed away from talks to assess his future, and Chelsea are confident about securing his signature.

Speaking about Chelsea’s goalkeeper situation, Bailey told TBR Football: “I asked Chelsea sources on several occasions why they were not in for Gianluigi Donnarumma or even Emi Martinez, but they weren’t interested, despite the fact we know that they looked to replace Robert Sanchez in June.

“Chelsea kept their powder dry. As we have seen with BlueCo and Chelsea in recent years, they know what they are doing, they have plans in place, and does this include landing a new goalkeeper in 2026 – I firmly believe it does.”

Maignan could now well be heading for Stamford Bridge next summer, and the Blues could even land the Milan goalkeeper on a free transfer.

Robert Sanchez’s 2025/26 stats against Mike Maignan

Sanchez has actually made an impressive start to the new season, with two clean sheets in his first three Premier League matches.

Recently, Peter Schmeichel defended Sanchez and believes that he has been subjected to ‘unfair criticism’.

The Spaniard’s performances at the FIFA Club World Cup convinced Enzo Maresca’s team to stick by him until at least January.

Looking at the data, Sanchez is currently well outperforming Maignan in most departments, and the Blues will need to keep an eye on how the Frenchman continues throughout the season.