AC Milan have begun preparing for the potential departure of goalkeeper Mike Maignan – the French international is highly likely to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer, and the Rossoneri are targeting Japan international Ayane Suzuki (of Parma) and German keeper Noah Atubolu (of Freiburg) as top candidates to fill the future goalkeeping vacancy.
Maignan’s current contract runs until June 2026, but contract extension talks between the two parties have been indefinitely suspended. During negotiations a few months ago, Maignan demanded a significant salary increase, but Milan was cautious about offering a large paycheck to a player over 30. Combined with Maignan’s underwhelming performances at the time failing to impress the management, the extension talks reached a complete deadlock. Although his form has improved recently, no new extension meetings have been scheduled between the club and the player, and the possibility of leaving is far greater than staying at this stage.
However, the relationship between the two sides has not broken down, and they may part ways "amicably" at the end of the season. Currently, Juventus have expressed interest in Maignan, while Chelsea and Bayern Munich are also monitoring the situation; the player will independently evaluate his next destination by then. For Milan, which pursues financial balance, Maignan’s free departure is not a disaster: he joined in the summer of 2021 for €13 million, and the transfer fee has now been fully amortized. Rather than offering a high salary to a player who will turn 31 in July next year, Milan prefers to sign a young goalkeeper to enhance the team’s asset value.
Milan’s two main targets at this stage each have their own strengths: the 24-year-old Ayane Suzuki is a regular for the Japan national team, currently plays for Parma, and has a market value of at least €16 million; the 23-year-old Noah Atubolu has been called up to the Germany national team, plays for Freiburg, and has a market valuation of approximately €18 million – both young goalkeepers align with Milan’s signing logic of "youth + value appreciation".
