GdS: Maignan heading towards renewing – what Milan did to change his mind

AC Milan are getting closer to obtaining the signature from Mike Maignan on a new contract, another report has claimed.

La Gazzetta dello Sport open their report with a nice bit of imagery: ‘The prolonged downpour, it seems, is giving way to a pink-tinged sky’. There’s no definitive agreement yet, but the conversation between Maignan and Milan regarding his contract has been moving positively in the last few hours.

In other words, the goalkeeper has apparently convinced himself that continuing his relationship with the Rossoneri is the best solution for his career at this time (under certain financial conditions, of course).

What changed?

Maignan’s desire until a few weeks ago was to leave on a free transfer. This was because of the cooling of relations with the management after the failure to reach an agreement a year ago, when the club made an offer then lowered it.

The dialogue between the two sides completely stopped and all of the rumours were about where Maignan was going and who might replace him. Then several things happened, and the inertia of the situation began to change.

A fundamental component was certainly Massimiliano Allegri’s arrival. He demanded that he was not sold to Chelsea, kept him as captain and showered him with praise. Team-mates like Gabbia and Rabiot made public appeals but also had words behind closed doors in the dressing room.

Photos: Claudio Villa + Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Also worth noting is the role of the new goalkeeping coach Claudio Filippi, a figure very much liked by the Frenchman, not coincidentally mentioned several times by Allegri and the player himself. The rest was first taken care of by Maignan himself, who returned to his best levels.

Milan re-established dialogue by submitting a third renewal proposal that essentially returned to the parameters of the first offer. The €7m net per year including bonuses would make the Frenchman the highest paid in the squad alongside Leao.

Allegri and Maignan had established a sort of gentlemen’s agreement: to continue with the utmost professionalism until the end of the season, regardless of the final outcome. Now that scenario takes on the overtones of confidence and concrete hope.