The AC Milan management are not just looking at potential new recruits in January but they are also working on locking down the core of the side for the future.
According to what is being reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanNews) this morning, a meeting that took place in recent days between the Milan directors and the agents of Mike Maignan to talk about the renewal of his contract.
The negotiation has not yet entered a decisive phase but it is clear that the right conditions are being sought to start moving towards an agreement. The Frenchman’s contract expires in 2026, but Milan want to get a jump on things to avoid unpleasant surprises or situations already experienced in the past.
Maignan is one of the best goalkeepers in the world but he currently receives €3.2m net per season, which will have to increase quite substantially. The feeling is that former Lille man could even ask for up to €8-10m.
The negotiation will go on but Milan have a €5-6m salary cap, though they have already made an exception for Rafael Leao.
Either sell him for a huge amount this summer or increase his salary to 8-9 million per year.
Finding and buying a new an equally good goalkeeper for less money than Maignans salary demands will be hard.
For me it’s a no brainer to give him a higher salary. We can’t keep “low” salaries and expect to win the league.