Since their takeover by the Clearlake-Boehly group, Chelsea have been very active in the transfer market. One thing they have rarely done though is go out and sign world-class players. So, when the club were linked with one last summer, there was a lot of excitement around the potential move. But have things changed since then?
We are talking about none other than Mike Maignan. The French international goalkeeper was said to be on the radar of Chelsea before the Club World Cup and while a move did not happen, the rumours have never gone away.
Maignan's contract at AC Milan is running out at the end of the season. So, the player would be free to agree a pre-contract starting in January. But will Chelsea make a move?
As reported by The Athletic, a move for Maignan will not be revisited, having held negotiations with AC Milan in June. Chelsea are happy with their current options in Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen and Mike Penders, who is out on loan and starting at Strasbourg right now.
Chelsea make decision on move for world-class player
There is enough reason for Chelsea to be happy with their goalkeeper situation at the moment. It is very different compared to how things had been looking back in the summer.
Sanchez has emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season. He was always a brilliant shot-stopper and commanding inside the box. But over his time at Chelsea, he has clearly improved with the ball at his feet and his distribution. On top of that, he is not making nearly as many errors lately.
On the other hand, Penders might be Chelsea's future between the sticks. At just 20 years of age, he is starting for Strasbourg. And over the last 365 days, compared to his positional pears in the top European leagues, he is 76th percentile in terms of save percentage, 89th percentile in terms of clean sheet percentage and 99th percentile in terms of touches.