CM: Milan plan Bundesliga scouting mission to watch potential Maignan replacement

AC Milan are in the market for a new goalkeeper to potentially replace Mike Maignan, and a name in the Bundesliga stands out.

According to Calciomercato.com, Milan have left the door very much open regarding Maignan’s contract renewal, especially after his recent decisive performances. However, there are no ongoing negotiations, and the management are aware these could be his final few months at the club.

Replacement from Germany

How do you replace Maignan? The mission promises to be very complicated given the Frenchman is one of the world’s best goalkeepers on his day, and finding a replacement of his calibre is difficult. Milan intend to focus on a young, talented profile with significant room for growth.

Cagliari’s Elia Caprile has been closely monitored and remains a strong candidate, as does Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. Parma’s Zion Suzuki, on the other hand, is losing ground because he’s expensive and hasn’t yet made the next step in his development.

Photos: Yu Chun Christopher + Alessandro Sabattini + Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images

The new name is Noah Atubolu of SC Freiburg. He stands 1.90m tall and weighs 78kg, and he came through the youth academy at his current club. Atubolu became the starter for the first team in 2023-24, after three years with Freiburg II in the third division (like Milan Futuro).

Last season, he enjoyed a remarkable campaign, culminating in a fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga. This earned them a spot in the Europa League second leg, where Noah also stood out against Bologna in the league phase.

His excellent performances for Freiburg earned Atubolu his first call-up to the senior German national team – led by Julian Nagelsmann – for the World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.

Photos: Daniela Porcelli + Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

He took part in the last European U21 Championships in Slovakia, where they lost to England in the final after extra time. Atubolu played in five of the six matches, including the quarter-final against Nunziata’s Italy.

The 23-year-old is an explosive goalkeeper and is very good at coming out of the box to command his area. Several top European clubs including Inter, are interested in Atubolu, partly because of the fact he has a contract expiring in 2027, which could convince Freiburg to open up to a sale.

Milan intend to send a scout to Freiburg for the next league match, scheduled for Sunday against St. Pauli. The German goalkeeper is represented by the same agency that handles Alexis Saelemaekers, a detail that could make a difference at this stage.