1
Manchester United are reportedly one of the clubs that could become Mike Maignan’s next destination as his time with AC Milan looks to be drawing to an end.
Just last summer, United forked out a combined £51.5m to secure the signings of Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir from Inter Milan and Fenerbahce respectively.
The recruitments of Onana and Bayindir followed the departures of long-serving shot-stopper David de Gea and Carrington academy graduate Dean Henderson who joined Crystal Palace.
Since his arrival at Old Trafford, Bayindir has made just one appearance for the club – an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Newport County. He was tasked with playing between the sticks while Andre Onana was away with Cameroon for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Meanwhile, Onana endured a difficult start to his United tenure. The 28-year-old made a number of high-profile mistakes, especially in the Champions League that eventually resulted in the team’s elimination from the continental competition.
However, he seems to have now turned a corner and is showing why Ten Hag decided to bring him in. Onana was one of United’s better players during the side’s most recent clash against Brentford. He was even named in the BBC Team of the Week.
Despite all this, Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that United still have doubts about their n.o 24 and are open to replacing him with AC Milan’s Mike Maignan.
Maignan’s contract at the San Siro is set to expire in 2026 and at the moment, no talks are going on with Milan.
The news outlet relays that there is “no discussion” and that the renewal is proving to be “complex.”
The Rossoneri are said to value Maignan at €100m. United are not the only top European outfit chasing the France international. Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also believed to be in the race to secure his signature.
La Gazzetta dello Sport relay that Maignan wants a pay package worth €8m per season – a figure Milan simply can’t afford. Talks with the player’s agent Jonathan Kebe “have not yet come to fruition” but the Serie A giants are still intent on settling on a lower sum.
Any suitor including United will be met with a firm “no” if they submit an offer below the €8m Maignan and his camp desire.
Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani opened up on the situation – including that of defender Theo Hernandez – a few days ago and said, “Maignan and [Theo] Hernandez have a contract for another two years. We talk about selling or buying but it is often the players who decide their future. Theo and Mike are two champions, we hope they stay with us as long as possible.”
It’s understood that for Maignan, the decisive factor in determining which team he’ll play for next is ambition and trophies. He wants to play for a club that is challenging for top honours every season.
Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.
Soccer2day 