The goalkeeping situation at Chelsea has been a worrying one for quite some time now. Robert Sanchez was impressive in the last portion of the season but overall, he simply has been too error-prone to be the Blues' number one choice between the posts. As a result, fans were delighted when rumours emerged that the club were interested in signing Mike Maignan.
Maignan has only one year left on his AC Milan contract and it looks like Chelsea are hoping to sign him for a bargain transfer fee this summer. It remains to be seen if the Italian club end up lowering their expectations.
The French goalkeeper's recent actions might help the Blues in getting a deal done. As reported by Ben Jacobs, Maignan has told AC Milan that he wants to join Chelsea.
Of course, that is no guarantee that a move happens as AC Milan’s £20m-£25m asking fee remains, but the keeper has now made it clear he wants to leave. Chelsea are expected to place a bid to see if they can secure the signing of Maignan before the Club World Cup.
Mike Maignan makes bold move to accelerate Chelsea transfer
For a long time, Maginan has been considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Admittedly, over the past few seasons, his numbers have not been particularly impressive.
Over the past year, Maginan has a 60th percentile save percentage, 72nd percentile clean sheet percentage and 52nd percentile crosses stopped percentage. In contrast, Sanchez has a 90th percentile save percentage, 64th percentile clean sheet percentage and 98th percentile crosses stopped percentage.
On paper, Sanchez is a much better shot stopper and commander of the box. So, it is not hard to understand why Chelsea might not be keen to go all out after Maignan's signature. It is very possible that they might already have a better goalkeeper, despite how much criticism the former Brighton & Hove Albion man has faced over his time at Stamford Bridge.
Then again, football is not just about numbers. Maignan is much better with the ball at his feet, less error-prone and perhaps most importantly, experienced in big games and at winning things. Those are intangibles that cannot exactly be quantified into stats.