Those who saw AC Milan’s win over Fiorentina on Saturday night cannot help but admit that Mike Maignan was a big reason that they emerged with three points.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport rightly state, the saves that Maignan made to deny Andrea Belotti and Rolando Mandragora were among the best that he has made in recent weeks.
Maignan is ‘obliged to be special’ meaning that if he saves normal shots and has normal performances, as happened this season, he is criticised.
However, the Frenchman was huge in the Scudetto season and in 2022-23, with a more stormy Milan, he confirmed himself at the level of the best in the role. This season he has not struggled as much with injuries – which is always important for him – but he has had some difficult moments.
The catalogue of saves
Despite these more challenging moments, when we talk about a goalkeeper to improve a great European team, Maignan’s name is never far away and that is because in the last eight months he has lined up several phenomenal saves.
During the win against Fiorentina back at San Siro earlier in the season, he made a decisive stop to deny Mandragora at the end, even if he knew little about it.
In Newcastle-Milan he produced a great save on Bruno Guimaraes to keep Europa League qualification alive. In Milan-Roma he stopped Celik, in Milan-Frosinone he denied Cuni, then gave an assist to Pulisic.
During Atalanta-Milan he made two saves: one on Scalvini, one on Lookman. For what is being spoken about as a possible down year or a ‘transition season’, he has still provided some big moments.
Speaking of transition, Maignan changed coach in the summer. In the summer, Tony Roberts – formerly of Arsenal, Swansea, Wolverhampton – joined the staff.
He has different methods from Flavio Roma, but it should not be a seismic change. Maignan at Milan is famous for taking maximum care of his routine, for his desire to erase every defect with obsessive work.
In the dressing room he is a recognised leader and his vocal leadership on the pitch is easy to spot. When he is missing, he is felt. It is no coincidence that Milan changed the way they defend in some situations for him – set pieces mainly – and the Frenchman followed suit.
What the future holds
Maignan’s contract expires in summer 2026 and the feeling is that this is the most ‘complex’ renewal. Milan consider him a player worth €100m and, in the case of big but still significantly lower offers, they will reject.
Two years from the deadline, however, the need not to lose another goalkeeper for free, as happened with Gianluigi Donnarumma. The CEO Giorgio Furlani spoke about it a few days ago.
“Maignan and Hernandez have a contract for another two years. We talk about selling or buying but it is often the players who decide their future. Theo and Mike are two champions, we hope they stay with us as long as possible,” he said.
Maignan was clear in November: “I like being here, everyone knows it. We haven’t started talking because I think it’s both for me and It’s not the ideal moment for the club.”
Who are the clubs to watch when it comes to Maignan? Bayern Munich, given that Neuer is 38 years old. Manchester United, who didn’t get the deal of a lifetime with Andre Onana. Chelsea, who can improve in that role. Then PSG, even if Donnarumma has picked up.
How much would a renewal cost? Maignan is a goalkeeper who can aspire to a contract worth €8m net per season. Negotiations with his agent Jonathan Kebe have not yet come to fruition but the management will certainly aim to close at lower figures.
What will be decisive? A particular factor: the ambitions of Milan, i.e. the team that the directors will be able to build in the summer. Maignan is a hyper competitive player and that detail will matter a lot.
Playing to qualify for the Champions League doesn’t interest him: he wants the thrills of finals and the Scudetto fight. At 28 years old, he knows he has no time to waste and wants to play in the World Cup, European Championships and Champions League as a protagonist.
He likes Milan but he likes a Scudetto-winning Milan. Now, it will be up to the management to match these ambitions.