As recently as August, the unequivocal message coming out of Stamford Bridge was that Chelsea had their three goalkeepers of the future: reinstated No 1 Robert Sanchez, new signing Filip Jorgensen and giant Belgian teenager Mike Penders, who will arrive in west London from Genk in his homeland in the summer of 2025.

The 29-year-old is also France's first-choice goalkeeper, having replaced World Cup-winning captain Hugo Lloris, who retired after Les Bleus' World Cup final defeat to Argentina. Maignan is now the country's vice-captain and was named in the Euro 2024 team of the tournament last summer.

Chelsea have decided that they do not need to sign a new goalkeeper to replace Robert Sanchez, according to reports. Sanchez has faced plenty of criticism from various football pundits this season and has been identified as a weak link in the Chelsea XI.