Gazzetta: Allegri blocked Chelsea summer move for Milan goalkeeper Maignan

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Sam Wilson | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 1:14 PM ET

Chelsea were on the verge of completing a deal to sign Mike Maignan from Milan this summer, reports from Italy claim, before Massimiliano Allegri arrived as head coach and asked the club not to sell the Frenchman.

According to what has been reported by Italian newspaper the Gazzetta dello Sport, via MilanNews, Chelsea had made Maignan a top priority and were close to wrapping up a deal in the region of €18 million.

However, everything changed with Allegri’s arrival. The returning head coach decided that he wanted to start fresh with Maignan and the Rossoneri quickly removed the player from the transfer market.

Maignan u-turn hurt Milan move for Doue

In the summer, the Rossoneri were chasing a move for Strasbourg full-back Guela Doue, the brother of PSG star Desire. However, a move did not materialise in the end.

Strasbourg are owned by the same company as Chelsea and work closely together as part of a multi-club network.

Therefore, Gazzetta claim that Milan’s decision to suddenly pull the plug on the Blues’ pursuit of Maignan may have damaged their chances of signing Doue.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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