Mike Maignan will not be joining Chelsea this summer after the Premier League side refused to meet AC Milan’s asking price ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Why Did Mike Maignan Not Join Chelsea?
The French shot-stopper appeared to be heading to the Premier League after weeks of negotiations with Chelsea and a deal looked all-but certain.
However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, has now revealed that talks between AC Milan and Chelsea have fallen through, after the two sides could not agree a fee.
Fabrizio Romano said: “Mike Maignan deal now OFF between Chelsea and AC Milan. Chelsea not willing to meet Milan price, deal not proceeding in time for Club World Cup as #CFC won’t pay CWC tax.”
According to reports, the Italian side have priced Maignan at around $35 million and this price tag appeared to be too steep for the Blues, who were only willing to spend around $15m.
🚨 EXCL: Mike Maignan deal now OFF between Chelsea and AC Milan. ❌🇫🇷
Chelsea not willing to meet Milan price, deal not proceeding in time for Club World Cup as #CFC won’t pay “CWC tax”.#CFC mantain full trust in Petrović, Sánchez, Jorgensen + talent Mike Penders for GK role. pic.twitter.com/VP4scFzbiI
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 10, 2025
The Frenchman was said to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge and his deal in Milan is set to expire in June 2026, meaning Chelsea may play the waiting game and sign Maignan as a free agent next summer.
Chelsea had been favorites to sign the French international on Serie A betting sites, however, this deal is now completely off the cards – unless either side buckles on their demands.
Milan are in no need to sell the 29-year-old as he is still regarded as the best goalkeeper that AC Milan has to offer and would still play a vital role in the 2025/26 campaign.
However, showing an interest in moving away from the San Siro may not be a good look to Milan’s new manager, Massimiliano Allegri, who could be looking to shuffle the pack next season.
Will Maignan Stay At AC Milan?
As previously stated, Maignan is still deemed the number one at AC Milan, putting in some superb performances in the red and black – meaning a move elsewhere seems unlikely.
During his time at the San Siro, Maignan has made 163 appearances across all competitions, keeping 59 clean sheets and winning one Serie A title in 2021/22.
The 2024/25 season was a difficult time for everyone involved with AC Milan, with the club finishing eighth in the league and conceding 43 goals in the process.
Maignan’s future in Milan has now been made interesting, as this whole saga was only ever about Chelsea and there were no other murmurs about a different club being involved.
With that in mind, it seems like the French goalkeeper will be in between the posts for Milan’s opening game, which will be against Cremonese following the release of the 2025/26 Serie A fixtures and Maignan will have a decision to make when his deal expires in June 2026.
