Tuttosport: Allegri and Tare hope to ‘mend the rift’ – how Milan’s actions angered Maignan

AC Milan will soon begin their mission to get Mike Maignan to extend his contract at the club, after the uncertainty of the early summer.

After the ‘great chill’ at the end of last season, Tuttosport (via MilanNews) confirm this morning that the Milan management are working to mend things with Maignan and try to find a new agreement to renew his contract.

The goalkeeper felt ‘enormous disappointment’ when he verbally agreed a contract extension until 2028 with an option for 2029 a few months ago, but it was pulled from the table during a period of difficult for.

From Chelsea to renewal?

The paper recall the story in full. In December 2024, with Milan struggling under Paulo Fonseca, the CEO Furlani and technical director Moncada reached an agreement with the goalkeeper to extend his deal – which expires in 2026 – with a pay rise from €3m net per year to €5m plus bonuses.

The signing and the official announcement seemed like just a formality, but that wasn’t the case, so much so that Maignan and his entourage immediately realised that someone at Casa Milan had decided to go back on their word.

Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

This was especially in light of the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, which resulted in lost revenue. With the arrival of Sergio Conceiçao, Maignan became the captain, and then when the season ended he contemplated leaving being left angry.

At the beginning of the summer, after the sale of Tijjani Reijnders, Chelsea made a €15m offer for the Frenchman. Milan, despite his contract expiring in a year, deemed it grossly insufficient and decided to keep Maignan, hoping Massimiliano Allegri and Igli Tare could mend the rift.

The coach and sporting director have so far managed to convince the Frenchman to stay at least another year with Milan. Now the next meeting is this Autumn to determine whether the conditions are right for them to continue together until 2029.

Tare and Allegri believe they can change his mind, knowing that finding another reliable goalkeeper like the former Lille man would cost at least €20-25m. Maignan is a leader in the dressing room and he continues to benefit from the Growth Decree, which helps.

Renewing him would be a profitable deal, both financially and sportingly. Milan are hoping for it and are waiting until the fall to see if it’s a viable option.