Chelsea chasing world-class £60m star – who would elevate them to a Champions League-level side: report

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Chelsea could be about to add more quality to their squad this January with the signing of a highly-ranked individual

Mauricio Pochettino the head coach / manager of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Chelsea FC at Turf Moor on October 7, 2023 in Burnley, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Chelsea are looking to add one of the world's best to their squad in January, as the spending continues at Stamford Bridge.

With over £1bn spent on new signings under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Chelsea have been extremely busy in recent transfer markets. Problems still remain in Mauricio Pochettino's squad, however, with two positions in particular consistently mentioned as needing improvement. 

And the Blues could address those issues in the upcoming window, as they target a player valued at around £60m by his current side.

Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea celebrates after scoring the team's fourth goal and his hat-trick during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England.

Chelsea have been hit-and-miss so far this term (Image credit: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

According to French outlet Footmercato, Chelsea are keen on bringing AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan to Stamford Bridge. 

The two clubs have had a number of dealings in recent seasons, too, with Chelsea selling the Italian side Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud. Whether Milan will be as willing to let Maignan leave, though, is another story. 

Among the best goalkeepers in world football, the Frenchman has made the France No.1 shirt his own in the last year due to hugely impressive performances in Serie A since joining Milan in 2021. 

Chelsea target Mike Maignan of AC Milan looks on during the Coppa Italia Semi Final 2nd Leg match between FC Internazionale v AC Milan at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 19, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Maignan is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world (Image credit: Getty Images)

But while his contract doesn't expire until June 2026, Maignan is reportedly unhappy with his wages at AC Milan and is demanding an increase. Financial difficulties make an extension unlikely, and potentially frees up the 28-year-old for a move away from San Siro.

With a reported asking price of £60m, Chelsea have proven in the past that they're more than willing to match hefty price tags. Goalkeeper is somewhat of a problem position at the moment, too, despite Robert Sanchez arriving from Brighton in the summer. 

The Blues will face stiff competition for Maignan's signature, though, with Manchester United, Arsenal and PSG all interested in him, too. The two former sides only recently added new 'keepers to their squads, however, with PSG having let Maignan go in 2015. 

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Chelsea appear to have suffered two further transfer setbacks, this time in relation to centre-forward targets.

The Blues could also end up losing one of their most important players to Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo has revealed why he opted to join Chelsea over Liverpool in the summer.

Ryan Dabbs
Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.