GdS: Juventus prepare free transfer swoop for Milan captain Maignan – the situation

Juventus are looking for a new long-term number one goalkeeper, and AC Milan’s Mike Maignan has ended up on their list.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, on the day of his appointment as Juventus CEO Damien Comolli was clear: the club must keep an eye on its finances. There will be no big investments in transfer fees, unless there are some ‘painful’ sales first.

So, free transfers could become the opportunities to seize for Juve, as the Jonathan David deal teaches us. Huge commissions and salary demands will not be tolerated, but chances to strengthen the squad will be explored, which leads us to Maignan.

Crossing the divide?

Signing from Serie A offers the significant advantage of significantly reducing the time it takes to adapt to Italian football and eliminating language barriers, but the admiration for Maignan extends far beyond such factors.

Maignan turned 30 this summer and is therefore in the prime of his career. He boasts undeniable technical and mental qualities, and has nearly 400 professional appearances under his belt for club and country.

His contract with Milan expires at the end of the season and negotiations over a possible contract extension stalled some time ago. Mike is understandably drawn to the Premier League, with Chelsea the prime candidate to welcome him in a new kit next summer.

However, nothing is set in stone yet, which is why Juventus are hoping they can pull off a surprise coup. The Bianconeri are starting at a disadvantage and would struggle to match any monstrous offers from England, but Maignan has always felt comfortable in Italy and this could have an impact.

Mike’s friendship with compatriot Khephren Thuram and the former Milan man Pierre Kalulu may play a part too. At this stage, the negotiations are being prepared, but Maignan is expected to demand a lot more than the current €3m net per season that he earns with the Rossoneri.