For some time now, Milan fans have been loudly calling on Mike Maignan on social media to renew his contract, which expires on 30 June 2026. In recent weeks, however, several of his teammates have also spoken out personally, expressing their hope that the Frenchman will soon sign a contract extension with the Rossoneri.
The latest to do so is his close friend Adrien Rabiot, who, speaking to Sky, said:
"He’s a friend, but above all he’s a great player, an outstanding one. There are very few goalkeepers like him in world football. As for everything surrounding this situation, I won’t get into it, but as a Milan player I obviously hope he stays because he’s very hard to replace. There are things we say to each other, of course, but there isn’t a single player who wouldn’t want him on the team. He has the trust and respect of all his teammates, he’s loved by everyone because he’s a genuine person. We need him. We’ve seen at the start of the season what he can do, how he can decide matches. I don’t know what will happen, but he’s been at Milan for many years and he’s someone who matters to the club and its history," as relayed via Milannews.it.
Negotiations still at a standstill:
These are significant words that highlight just how important Maignan is in the Milan dressing room, as well as on the pitch, where he has been producing outstanding performances this season. Unfortunately, there is still no progress on the negotiation front, in fact everything remains blocked. The situation is well known: the parties had reached an agreement at €5 million per year, but the club, also due to some less convincing performances from the Frenchman, decided to lower its offer to €4 million. Unsurprisingly, Maignan did not agree, and from there a silence followed that effectively brought talks to a halt.
Milan's potential targets:
Compared to a few weeks ago, dialogue between the parties appears to have improved, but it remains a very complex operation. For this reason, Milan are looking around, as they cannot afford to be unprepared should Maignan decide not to leave on a free at the end of the season. Several names have been linked with the Rossoneri: from Parma’s Suzuki to Cagliari’s Caprile, from Freiburg’s Atubolu to Real Madrid’s Lunin, all the way to Hugo Souza of Corinthians, who currently seems to be one of the preferred options. The priority at Casa Milan, however, remains Maignan’s renewal, even if the road ahead is far from straightforward.
