- 20 hours ago
Chelsea sleeping as Man City move for star who could transform Maresca's squad
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 3 Jun 2024 08:57 BST
- 4 min read
Chelsea have not been shy about making signings since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took charge of the club in 2022. The trouble is, they have not been the right ones.
The Blues are back in the market for several players this summer as Enzo Maresca takes charge of the club.
Tosin Adarabioyo is set to arrive at the club on a free transfer this week shortly after Maresca’s appointment is made official while a goalkeeper and a striker are among those that will follow in due course.
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STATS
Mike Maignan
GK
Mike Maignan
GK
Milan
The chase for a shot-stopper will be a particularly delicate matter, with Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles reportedly targeted.
Former Manchester City coach Maresca, though, should be looking at his former employers for inspiration in this area.
While the four-time Premier League champions are being linked with a move for AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan, he is exactly the type of player who Chelsea should be looking to sign in this area of the field.
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And there is hope. While The Sun reports City are interested in a deal, Fabrizio Romano has countered with a report indicating that no action will be taken under Ederson’s future is decided.
Chelsea should use this as a window of opportunity for a player they were previously linked to in the spring.
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Maignan is a keeper for the present and the future
Maignan would be an excellent signing at Stamford Bridge, with data analytics experts SciSports indicating that he would arrive and immediately become a key player for the club based upon their SciSkill rating, which assesses hundreds of in-game data points to provide players with a rating.
According to the experts, he is the sixth-strongest keeper in the world.
Maignan may not fit into Chelsea’s transfer project of being a relatively unknown up-and-comer, yet aged 28, he remains a player with a long future ahead of him.
His qualities as a goalkeeper are unquestionable and he would offer experience so badly lacking in this Chelsea squad in a key position. The departure of Thiago Silva will make a player of his know-how even more important in the backline.
The strengths of the France international are well established. Namely, he is an excellent shot-stopper, commands his defence well and, crucially for Maresca, is entirely comfortable with the ball at his feet.
With an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €35.6 million, the former PSG and Lille custodian should not even prove too expensive, even if his price is forced up because of Chelsea’s reputation for spending big.
It’s a deal that makes sense on a lot of levels, with Maignan a keeper for the present and future who offers so many of the qualities Chelsea have been missing.
