One Serie A star is believed to be strongly considering joining Chelsea as talks slow down over a new contract, according to one media source.
Sticking to the pitch, Enzo Maresca is looking to put that disappointing 2-2 draw against Qarabağ in Azerbaijan behind him, with Chelsea preparing for their second meeting against the Premier League bottom side in just 11 days.
Qarabağ 2-2 Chelsea – best players
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Match Rating
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Estevao
8.2
Alejandro Garnacho
7.5
Leandro Andrade
7.4
Matheus Silva
7.0
Marko Jankovic
7.0
via WhoScored
In late October, Chelsea came out the other side of a thrilling seven-goal thriller at Molineux with a 4-3 victory in the Carabao Cup, but Maresca will be hoping for a much more routine win this time round as he looks to kickstart a consistent run of form.
Managerless Wolves remain the only team in the league without a win, making Maresca’s side the overwhelming favourites, and the statistics paint a very grim picture for the visitors.
The Old Gold have picked up just two points in 10 top flight games this season from two draws and eight losses, and every single Premier League side in history with two or fewer points at this stage of the campaign has gone on to be relegated.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are likely to extend their unbeaten streak across all competitions to three games, with Joao Pedro looking to impress once again, having been involved in six goals in his last nine Premier League appearances. His next game will be his 100th in the competition, becoming the 31st Brazilian to reach that milestone.
However, while Chelsea are expected to pick up all three points against Wolves, there are still gaping holes in the team that Maresca needs to address.
Defensively, it is believed that Chelsea are prioritising the signing of a centre-back in January after Maresca appeared to demand one in the summer window, but they could also sign a new goalkeeper.
Robert Sanchez committed five errors leading to goals last season, more than any other Premier League shot stopper, and Chelsea attempted to bring in AC Milan star Mike Maignan as an alternative earlier this year.
The 30-year-old, who’s poised to leave Milan as a free agent in 2026, is still attracting serious interest from Stamford Bridge heading into the new year, and Chelsea could offer Maignan a pre-contract in January ahead of a Bosman move next summer.
Mike Maignan "quite firmly leaning" towards Chelsea move next year
According to journalist Marco Pasotto, speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Milan News), Maignan himself is pretty keen on the idea of joining Chelsea.
The Rossoneri had wanted to extend his deal, but those talks have apparently slowed down, opening the door for Maresca’s side to move for him.
Maignan is among the best goalkeepers in world football and France’s undisputed number one, captaining Les Bleus in their last game against Iceland, so signing him on a free would be one of the biggest transfer snips of next year.
Chelsea haggled over Maignan’s price in the summer and couldn’t reach an agreement before September deadline day, but with Milan soon to be out of the equation, the only worry for BlueCo is rival interest from abroad.
Liverpool keeper Alisson has branded him an “elite” shot stopper and one of world football’s finest too, so it could be deemed a no-brainer to at least attempt finally getting him over the line.