Romano latest: Chelsea €20m away from deal for elite player and have set a deadline | OneFootball

Yesterday morning we had the big news from Fabrizio Romano that Chelsea had finally got into gear and started making a serious attempt to sign an elite goalkeeper – Mike Maignan from AC Milan.

After years as one of the best in his position, the France keeper looks like he’s ready to try a new challenge, and with just a year left on his contract, this is the perfect time to make a move.

Romano update on Maignan not promising for fans

Chelsea and AC Milan struggle for a Mike Maignan deal according to Fabrizio Romano.

However just 24 hours after we all got excited, things are drifting in the wrong direction a little. Romano’s latest update makes it very clear that this deal is a long way off – and talks could be over even before they’ve really begun.

The Italian insider writes that Milan want €30m for their number one, while Chelsea apparently value him at a paltry €10m. That is absurdly low – at that price Milan would probably rather just keep him in the squad than let him go for free a year later.

Chelsea set deadline ahead of Club World Cup

The other detail he includes – likely influenced by a brief from Chelsea – is that the Blues “won’t wait longer than Monday” to conclude negotiations because they’re already “happy with the 4 goalkeepers in their squad.”

That sounds like a classic ploy to pressure Milan into lowering the price. A compromise at €20m would work for both, and even then it would be a cheap deal. Look at the average players we’ve bought for double that in the last couple of years alone. A major upgrade in a problem position has got to be worth more than €10m.

If Maignan’s wages can get down to a reasonable, this deal has to happen.