Reports stemming from France this weekend suggest that Chelsea are preparing a swoop for Lille star Mike Maignan.
Kepa’s struggles
The situation between the posts proved a major source of concern at Chelsea once again this past season.
After finally beginning to showcase the kind of form to suggest that he was ready to justify his hefty price-tag towards the business end of the 2018/19 campaign, Kepa Arrizabalaga took considerable steps in the wrong direction this time around.
The former Athletic Bilbao man looked shaky throughout the campaign, struggling both from a shot-stopping perspective, and to command his area.
In fact, so frequent were Kepa’s mistake-riddled displays over the months leading up to the turn of the year, that they even resulted in him losing his place in Chelsea’s starting XI to veteran Willy Caballero.
Come the campaign’s close, meanwhile, it was revealed that the Spaniard was the owner of the worst save percentage in the Premier League in 2019/20:
Kepa finished the Premier League season with the lowest save % in the league. 53.5%. The 2nd worst was Jordan Pickford with a 62.7% save percentage. #CFC
— CFCDaily (@CFCDaily) July 27, 2020
Maignan targeted?
As such, question marks surrounding Kepa’s situation at Stamford Bridge have inevitably begun to mount of late.
The likes of Valencia and Sevilla have been tipped as potential summer landing spots for the Spaniard, with a two-year loan move to the former having even been touted.
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 22: Antonio Rudiger of Chelsea tries to shield the ball so that Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga can gather the ball during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 22, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
And, as outlined above, if the latest media speculation in France this weekend is to be believed, then Chelsea already appear to be eyeing up a potential replacement for their struggling no.1.
The player in question? Mike Maignan.
As previously reported by Le10Sport, the Blues view Lille standout Maignan as someone who ‘ticks a lot of boxes’ when it comes to their search for a new goalkeeper.
It has also been noted that the 25-year-old himself would be keen on a Premier League switch.
And, in a further update over the last 24 hours, Le10Sport have gone a step further, in assuring that the transfer chiefs at Stamford Bridge are now ‘preparing an offensive’ to coax Lille into a sale.
Interestingly, Chelsea’s capital rivals Tottenham have also been named as a potential suitor, though the undisputed status of Hugo Lloris would no doubt make a Lilywhites switch complicated.
