In a recent interview with Caughtoffside, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano offered an update on Manchester City and their pursuit of AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan. Romano said,
“As I recently revealed, there are chances for Ederson to leave Manchester City this summer, so it’s normal to now see goalkeepers being linked with the Premier League champions.
“However, despite links with AC Milan’s Mike Maignan, I have no info yet on a new Manchester City goalkeeper, also because it will depend on what Ederson wants to do. At the moment it’s too early to say. Many goalkeepers will be linked with Man City now, but I don’t have anything confirmed yet.”
Maignan’s Impressive Season In French Football
Maignan had an impressive campaign at AC Milan recently as he put in a run of solid performances for them in Serie A. The 28-year-old conceded 52 goals and kept 15 clean sheets in 42 appearances for the Milan outfit last season across various competitions.
The French keeper has done well to average 0.4 clearances and 5.7 long balls per 90 minutes in Serie A. He has even distributed the ball accurately from the back after completing 82.2% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
What Should Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Do With Regards To Maignan?
Maignan can be a safe pair of hands in between the sticks when he is playing well on the field. He can use his quick reflexes to make some solid saves at the back and is a good handler of the ball as well.
The France international can pass the ball accurately from the back. Standing at 1.91m, he can be a dominant presence inside his penalty area. We can expect a keeper of Maignan’s quality to be a welcome addition to Man City‘s squad this summer.
At 28, the AC Milan goalie is playing in his prime and is more than capable of succeeding Ederson in goal at the Etihad Stadium. However, there are some concerns over whether he can adapt to the high intensity of Premier League football.
With all things considered, Pep Guardiola would be wise to launch a move for Maignan as he could help Man City compete for even more major honours over the next decade.
