AC Milan have confirmed that Mike Maignan and Rafael Leao will stay with the club despite transfer interest.
Maignan held talks with Chelsea over a potential move to the Premier League earlier in the summer. Chelsea had been keen to sign the France international ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup campaign but were unable to agree a fee with Milan.
.@mmseize ➕ @RafaeLeao7 = ❤️ x sempre! #MilanSamp #SerieATIM 💎 #SanValentino @acmilan pic.twitter.com/lk98CImPEJ
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) February 14, 2022
Maignan has entered the final 12 months of his deal at the San Siro but will not be leaving this summer. New head coach Massimiliano Allegri confirmed the decision at a press conference and said Maignan will remain captain.
“I’m very happy he decided to stay,” Allegri said.
“Mike remains the captain and is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.”
Milan have already sanctioned the sale of Tijjani Reijnders to Manchester City, while Theo Hernandez will leave for Al-Hilal. The exits have followed a poor domestic season, in which Milan missed out on European qualification.
However, Allegri has insisted there will be no more high-profile departures with Rafael Leao set to stay. The Portugal international has been linked with clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
“Rafa can do excellent things next season. I’m sure I can bring out that extra something he’s been missing. He’s reaching the age where a player performs at his peak.”
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