Chelsea told goalkeeper target Mike Maignan "is not leaving"

Chelsea's hopes of signing Mike Maignan have taken another hit, with Milan's new sporting director Igli Tare insisting he's not leaving the club.

Speaking with journalists regarding his plans for the club, Tare said: "Maignan is not leaving, he will be at Milan next season too.

"There was interest from a Premier League club but in the end an agreement was not reached, also knowing that Maignan is a point of reference not only on the pitch but also off it.

"We decided to focus on him and look forward together."

It promises to be a busy summer at the San Siro as Milan prepare to lose Yunus Musah, Theo Hernandez and potentially Rafael Leao amongst others, with Luka Modric on his way, as well as a new centre forward and further midfield reinforcements.

Chelsea have expressed interest in Maignan as they look to sign a new number one to replace Robert Sanchez, and while the France goalkeeper is a solid shot-stopper, it's his work with the ball at his feet where he excels and would make a significant upgrade on the Spaniard.

Despite their interest, Chelsea seemed unwilling to meet Milan's £20m asking price and were prepared to walk away.

It appears to be an act of brinkmanship on both parties. Milan are adamant they won't sell Maignan while Chelsea insist they're happy to walk away from a deal, but Maignan is the number one goalkeeping target for the club, and with a year to run on his contract, Milan could have their arm twisted.

However, if a deal does fail to materialise, their interest will likely move to other targets, two of which could still come from Serie A.

Marco Carnesecchi's progressing nicely with Atalanta, establishing himself as their number one over the last 18 months while Mile Svilar has also enjoyed a strong year with Roma.

Lucas Chevalier is also attracting attention from some of Europe's top clubs after three impressive seasons with Lille and is likely on Chelsea's radar should the Maignan deal not materialise.

Liam Williams

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