A poor performance cannot change the status earned through talent, hard work, and discipline: Mike Maignan remains one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Arriving from Lille for 13 million euros in the summer of 2021 as the heir to Gianluigi Donnarumma, the French goalkeeper won an Italian league title in 2021–2022 and the Italian Super Cup with the Rossoneri. Two successes that do not represent a point of arrival for Magic Mike but rather a point of departure, because the objective, clear for some time now, is to win much more and write more pages in the history of the club.
Maignan’s agents and Milan have been discussing the topic of a contract renewal for several months now, a topic that has now become central, considering the current expiry in 2026, and not just as a tool to reward the French national team goalkeeper for what he has done for the club. A long tug-of-war that had seen a first turning point with a verbal agreement reached between the parties in December. But it is well known that in football only signed contracts matter—ones that were duly signed for Reijnders but not yet for the 29-year-old goalkeeper. The Rossoneri management decided to take some time after Mike's dip in performance between January and February, with the errors against Cagliari, Como, Juventus in the league, and Feyenoord in the Champions League. A surprise move followed by a new phase of reflection and analysis by the Rossoneri top brass.
A reduced offer for Maignan?
There is a second, perhaps more concrete interpretation behind the halt in negotiations between Milan and Maignan: the club, also due to the well-known struggles in the standings, did not want to commit in advance to such a costly contract before understanding whether or not they would qualify for the next Champions League. And it cannot be a coincidence that, in the recent contact with the Frenchman’s agency, a new reduced proposal was made: from five million as a fixed base to four, with bonuses tied to the 2026/2027 Champions League. Mike currently earns about 3.1 million guaranteed plus bonuses, and he will have to give an answer to what can be filed away as the final offer. The contract is already ready—now Milan awaits a response from one of the team’s charismatic leaders.
