Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea are all set to complete the signing of AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan tomorrow.

According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea are closing in on the signature of Mike Maignan. The Blues have been involved in negotiations with AC Milan for a while now and have finally reached an agreement on a transfer worth €18 million. They are expected to wrap up the deal by tomorrow.

While things didn’t work out for Maignan at PSG, he made a name for himself at LOSC Lille before joining Milan in the summer of 2021. He has been an undisputed starter for them ever since and has done wonders for the Italian giants.

However, the French international’s future has been a massive talking point in recent months because of his contract situation. His current deal runs out in 12 months time and multiple top clubs have been trying to lure him away.

While Milan were initially looking to extend his deal from 2026 to 2029 and were willing to offer him a deal worth €5 million per year, they decided against it because of his recent form and some fitness concerns. With renewal talks not going as planned and him entering the final year of his contract, a move away looked almost certain.

Chelsea made the most out of Maignan’s situation

Chelsea were closely following his situation and they decided to pounce on the opportunity. While Robert Sanchez has done a decent job for them, manager Maresca and people at the club both had their doubts about him being their number one going forward.

They were in the market for a world-class shot-stopper to bolster their backline, and Maignan was high on their wishlist. The player was already open to leaving Milan, and with Chelsea offering him the platform to compete at the highest level, convincing him wasn’t too difficult. However, negotiating with the Serie A giants was a different challenge altogether.

The Blues were involved in long-drawn negotiations with Milan. They were initially looking to lower the cost of the operation by involving Djordje Petrovic and Kepa Arrizabalaga. But the Italian giants had no interest in such a deal.

The Blues are expected to sign Maignan by tomorrow

Chelsea made an initial offer worth €15 million and after lengthy discussions, both clubs ended up agreeing on a deal worth €18 million. While negotiations weren’t easy, Milan eventually gave in as Maignan was keen on joining the Blues.

The London club wants to add him to their Club World Cup squad, as a result, they are pushing to get the deal done by the 10th June deadline. They are expected to complete the final details of the deal by tomorrow and then we could have an official announcement.