Chelsea new keeper signing plan bang on track amid complete Maresca mess – sources

Chelsea’s decision not to try to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma caused some surprise over the summer, but TEAMtalk sources believe it is part of a longer plan they are hoping to pull off.

Donnarumma signed for Manchester City and has immediately asserted himself and given the side a new sense of steel at The Etihad

Meanwhile, Chelsea are facing a new dilemma between the sticks after Robert Sanchez was sent off against Manchester United after an erratic decision to charge out of his penalty box, and in midweek Filip Jorgensen produced a worrying and uncomfortable performance as the Blues narrowly beat League One Lincoln City.

There was certainly a temptation for Chelsea to sign a new goalkeeper in the summer, as some members of the coaching staff felt it was necessary if they were to truly compete for trophies across the season.

However, the decision was taken to stick with their current options.

It is understood that part of the reason they did not join the battle to sign Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain is because of a belief they can still get AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan.

They failed to sign him at the start of the summer because they could not agree a fee – but with the player now in the final year of his contract, there is some hope they can still capture him.

Maignan, 30, was very interested in the prospect of joining Chelsea and it is believed they remain his top choice if he is to leave Milan in 2026.

So far there is no progress on him extending his stay with the Italian side.

Signing Maignan could bridge the gap to Chelsea then putting faith in young Mike Penders, who is very highly regarded.

The west London club are back in action on Saturday when they host Brighton in the Premier League.

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No fewer than SIX reasons why Manchester United got rid of Alejandro Garnacho have come to light, and the winger’s start to life at Chelsea has gone from bad to worse.

Elsewhere, Enzo Maresca has aimed a dig at out-of-favour Chelsea duo Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, who have been training separately from the Blues’ first team amid speculation over their futures.

And finally, Jose Mourinho’s return to Benfica could have implications for Chelsea’s January transfer strategy, with defender Antonio Silva among the players they have been tracking, sources have told TEAMtalk.

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