GdS: ‘Turning point’ – why Maignan is inclined to accept Milan’s Leao-level renewal offer

AC Milan are pushing hard to keep Mike Maignan at the club, and a report has brought some good news regarding his renewal.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), the news is that Milan have officially delivered an offer to Maignan to extend his contract, which expires on June 30th. It’s a significant offer, in line with the salary of Rafael Leao, the highest-paid player in the squad.

The management are now awaiting a response from the captain, but while his decision to leave Milan in search of a new opportunity was a given previously, the situation is now more fluid. One might almost say it’s reversed.

The management, Massimiliano Allegri, his staff and Maignan’s team-mates are doing everything they can to convince him to sign. The Frenchman is flattered by the constant expressions of esteem he’s receiving and while this doesn’t mean he’ll definitely stay, the dialogue is ongoing.

The two sides will meet soon because, after the proposal of the last few days, it’s important to look at each other in the eye and discuss. In the meantime, the Frenchman is reflecting on what – one way or another – will be a life choice. Milan are convinced they have done their best.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

The figures and the feelings

Everyone is playing a key role in the mission to persuade Magic Mike. The club have offered him a top-level salary, the same one that prompted Leao to renew his contract: €7m net, including bonuses, per season.

This is lower than the former Lille player’s asking price (€7.5m with bonuses on top), but the goalkeeper would join the Portuguese as the highest-paid in the squad. To narrow the gap between offer and demand without breaking the cap, the club are keen to work on bonuses.

Which ones? Perhaps by including one tied to future Champions League participation, as was done with Adrien Rabiot. If he signs within a few weeks, say before the end of the January transfer window or by early March, he could be awarded a bonus for 2025-26 to supplement his current salary.

This figure would perhaps be triggered by qualification for Europe’s most prestigious competition. It would be a sort of signing bonus he would receive if he were to join another club on a free transfer.

The club is looking around and has monitored the situation of potential replacements (Zion Suzuki before his injury and Hugo Souza of Corinthians, to name just two examples), but the investment between the posts will only be made if Maignan definitively rejects staying at Milan.

That’s why all efforts are now being focused on convincing him. The proposed agreement is long, until 2029 with an option for 2030, or possibly until 2030 without an option. A long-term project with the captain at the center.

Massimiliano Allegri and his staff know that it would be difficult to sign another Maignan and even harder to integrate them in the same way, both into the squad and the dressing room. So it’s best not to lose him, even if the coach knows he can only do so much.

Even team-mates are rooting for Maignan’s stay: Matteo Gabbia has come out in the open with a post on social media, explicitly asking him to sign a contract renewal. That’s why Furlani and Tare are stepping up and believing in the renewal mission.