- 11 hours ago
Official: Milan reach €15m agreement to sign Lille keeper Maignan
Robin Bairner
- 27 May 2021 15:09 BST
- 4 min read
Milan are set to complete the signing of Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan for an estimated €15 million after an agreement was reached between the two clubs.
Maignan played a key role for Lille as they surprisingly beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title, keeping 21 cleansheets and conceding only 23 goals as he played all 38 matches.
READ MORE: Maignan once called Ibrahimovic a ‘sh*t attacker’ and lived to tell the tale
The 25-year-old goalkeeper moves to Milan, where he has signed a contract until 2026 and is expected to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Rossoneri’s nets.
Lille tweeted: “LOSC can confirm an agreement has been reached with Milan for the transfer of Mike Maignan.
“The French international goalkeeper will sign for the Rossoneri when the Italian transfer window opens.”
LOSC can confirm an agreement has been reached with @acmilan for the transfer of Mike Maignan.
The French international goalkeeper will sign for the Rossoneri when the Italian transfer window opens. pic.twitter.com/5Y0aQ6FSRW— LOSC Lille EN (@LOSC_EN) May 27, 2021
Meanwhile, Milan confirmed: “AC Milan is delighted to announce the signing of French player Mike Maignan from LOSC Lille, who will be joining the Club starting from 1 July 2021. The goalkeeper has signed a contract with the Rossoneri until 30 June 2026 and will wear the number 16 jersey.”
Absorbing the history, ready to defend the future
Un tuffo nella storia, prima di scrivere insieme il futuro#SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/PCtQfAGUdP
— AC Milan (@acmilan) May 27, 2021
Before Maignan joins up with his new Milan team-mates, he will be a member of the France squad for Euro 2020, in which he is expected to play a back-up role to captain Hugo Lloris.
Why are Milan replacing Donnarumma?
Maignan will arrive at the Serie A outfit as the long-term replacement for Donnarumma, who has long been touted as the game’s next great goalkeeper.
The Rossoneri, however, are unwilling to match the demands of agent Mino Raiola for his client. Various figures have been bandied around the Italian press, suggesting that the agent is seeking an exorbitant bonus for his client to sign a new contract.
Having lost patience with the situation, Milan have turned to Maignan, who kept more cleansheets than any goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues last season and who boasted the fourth highest save percentage of any regular shot-stopper in these divisions.
