Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and Newcastle are reportedly all keen on signing world-class AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur are all expressing their interest in signing AC Milan’s French shot-stopper Mike Maignan. That’s according to a report from Calciostyle.it, which claims Spurs and United have even approached his representative with a lucrative five-year deal in recent months.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper rose through the PSG youth ranks before moving to Lille, where he earned a reputation as a superb reflex shot-stopper with a penchant for stopping spot kicks. He was named Ligue 1’s best goalkeeper for the 2018/19 season as Lille bucked the trend to pip PSG to the Ligue 1 title the following season.
Fresh off the back of losing star-boy Gianluigi Donnarumma to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, AC Milan wasted no time in snapping up Maignan from Lille in a bargain €14 million deal in 2020.
And it’s safe to say they have found a perfect replacement for the Italian international. If anything, Maignan has been an upgrade on the Euro 2020 winner thanks to his ball-playing strength. It took Maignan very little time to become an undisputed starter for the Rossoneri, as well as a firm fan favourite.
The Frenchman is very important to Stefano Pioli’s style of play thanks to his very good ball distribution, which contributes to Milan’s short build-up play or even initiates their attacks at times.
He is also excellent at commanding the box and popping up with crucial saves in vital moments during the games, especially in one-vs-one situations. It’s no wonder that Milan’s Scudetto success last term was attributed to defensive solidity at the back.
Regarded among the top five goalkeepers on the planet at present, there is a long list of the French international’s admirers, especially from the Premier League, with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and cash-rich Newcastle United all vying for his signature.
Tottenham Hotspur, for one, are searching the market for a goalkeeper in the near future as they seek a long-term successor to Hugo Lloris. The 35-year-old is out of contract in the summer of 2024, and at the age of 35, the Spurs skipper isn’t getting any younger. Spurs’ current backup goalkeeper is Fraser Forster, but the former Southampton man is in his mid-thirties himself, so isn’t a long-term fix, making Maignan a viable target.
Man United, meanwhile, can’t afford to miss the boat in signing a ball-playing keeper in Maignan. David De Gea’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023, although the Red Devils have the option to extend it by another year. For United, it is the perfect chance to free up substantial wages on their wage bill and rebuild the playing squad according to Erik ten Hag’s vision.
As for Newcastle, they don’t really need a new goalkeeper, having signed one last summer in Nick Pope, who has made an excellent start to life on Tyneside.
Furthermore, the report mentions that they stand little chance with the player’s agent not entertaining proposals from clubs outside of the Champions League. The French international’s current contract at San Siro runs out in June 2026. So, Milan could command a hefty paycheck if they are to lose their No. 1.
