It’s been a busy few days at Manchester United.

From agreeing to sign Matheus Cunha, speaking with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, finding out Bruno Fernandes won’t be joining Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal and that Jadon Sancho will return from Chelsea, along with a £5m payment, it has been a whirlwind return from their troubled post-season tour of Asia.

So, where are they now and what is their transfer strategy moving forward?

Fernandes took a bit of time mulling over the Al Hilal offer after United head coach Ruben Amorim said in Hong Kong on Friday he thought his captain would stay at the club.

The 30-year-old wanted to talk it through with his family as, after all, the sums being offered were truly staggering and could not just be dismissed out of hand.

At this point last week, many at United thought Fernandes would go. Now we know he won’t.

Lost amid his assertions about Fernandes, Amorim said something else that resonated.

Knowing nailing him down on individuals and specifics would be impossible, I asked Amorim if he knew what he wanted his squad to look like when pre-season training began at the start of July.

“Yes,” he said. “I have a clear idea what we want.

“As you know, we are bit limited and can’t do it all in one summer. But there is a clear picture for what we want.”

The initial approach – and as a guide it still holds – was to go for younger, hungry players, who can improve.

That is the basis on which 20-year-old Denmark international Patrick Dorgu arrived in a £25m deal from Serie A outfit Lecce in February to address the problematic left wing-back berth. It was the same with 18-year-old Arsenal central defender Ayden Heaven.

Both players made promising contributions, albeit in a struggling team.

However, some issues are so urgently in need of addressing, no time for development is available.

And, what Amorim wanted, as an absolute priority, was to reinforce his attack.

Time and again towards the end of the Premier League season, the United boss had lamented his side’s ability to make the most of the chances they were creating.

Between them, Wolves’ Cunha and Mbeumo scored 35 league goals last season. The campaign before, it was 21.

They are proven in England in a way Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were not before moving to United for a combined fee of almost £110m in the summers of 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Two signings alone is a bit early to confirm a significant shift away from buying in from overseas – and the arrival of Mason Mount from Chelsea in 2023 is proof United had not completely ignored the domestic market before.

But it does take out some of the risk when you buy players who know the challenges that lie ahead.

“I think they are players who can come in and hit the ground running,” former United skipper Gary Neville told Sky Sports.

“United has become a very difficult place for new signings to operate in the last 10 years. Cunha and Mbeumo have got Premier League experience and lots of games under their belt.

“When I watch Manchester United’s wide players, they have to be able to get from box to box quickly, and they have to be able to travel with the ball and without the ball. Mbeumo and Cunha can do that, they both run forward with real intent and purpose.

“The players who are going to leave are more jinkers and play in smaller spaces.”

The great unknown is whether Amorim would play Cunha and Mbeumo – if he signs and, as yet, United have not made contact with Brentford – behind a number nine in the two ’10’ slots, or if one of them will operate as a main striker, or they will swap.

Amorim was adamant in Hong Kong that United could work around Fernandes staying at Old Trafford from a financial point of view.

However, the situation is not straightforward.

With no European football of any sort next season, finances will be tight. Amorim has already said he can operate with a smaller squad given there are fewer matches, so sales are inevitable.

Broadly speaking, there are three categories.

Players Amorim just does not want – so the likes of Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

Players who have struggled and it would make sense to sell – Hojlund and Zirkzee fit into this group, as does Casemiro.

Then, the bulk are players who have something to offer and United would be open to keeping but would let go if the right bid came in.

Yet the major issue around all of this is how long would it take to do a deal and how much would it cost?

Take Sancho for example.

It has been established Chelsea would have signed him on reduced terms, which he was not prepared to accept.

If a Premier League club that has just qualified for the Champions League are baulking at Sancho’s wages, it is fair to assume most other clubs will reach the same conclusion.

If Sancho refuses to drop his demands and Amorim wants him out, United will have to negotiate some kind of compromise.

This puts them back in the uncomfortable position of paying a player to play for a rival. It is the kind of situation minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe finds so irritating and wants to end.

Yet, when you take a realistic approach to Sancho, Antony and Rashford in particular, it is hard to see how that situation is avoided. The same could also be said of many United players who remained at the club last season.

The matches may have finished but for United technical director Jason Wilcox and chief negotiator Matt Hargreaves, the hard work is just beginning.

It is how well they do, getting players in and out, that will determine how much progress Amorim can be expected to make.

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app

World number one Aryna Sabalenka will face three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in a blockbuster French Open semi-final between two title contenders.

Sabalenka edged a tight quarter-final against China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 on a blustery Court Phillippe Chatrier on Tuesday.

Poland’s Swiatek then came through 6-1 7-5 against Elina Svitolina to set up a fascinating last-four encounter.

Belarusian Sabalenka replaced fifth-ranked Swiatek as world number one in October last year.

The pair have met 12 times, with Swiatek leading the head-to-head 8-4 – but they have not met at a major since the 2022 US Open semi-finals.

Swiatek has won four of the past five Roland Garros titles, while Sabalenka is bidding for her first Paris trophy.

“Aryna has a game for every surface, so I need to focus on myself, do the work, be brave in my shots and just go for it,” Swiatek said.

“It is going to be a tough match, but I’m happy for the challenge.”

For all that Swiatek has dominated the French Open in recent years, Sabalenka is the player to beat this time around.

She has won three titles this year – including one on the Madrid clay – and reached two further finals, as well as strengthening her grip on the top ranking.

But her three-set defeat by Madison Keys in the Australian Open final stung – and she looks on a mission to avenge that loss.

Zheng had cause for optimism. She snapped a six-match losing streak to Sabalenka on the Rome clay in May and ultimately started the better of the two.

However, the mistakes were the difference, with Zheng committing 31 unforced errors to Sabalenka’s 18 and winning just 39% of points behind her second serve.

Sabalenka was visibly unimpressed with the wind, her game and finding herself down an early break in the first set, but she generated enough rhythm to break back for 4-4.

The top seed dominated the eventual tie-break, taking it on a long whipped forehand from Zheng, and repeatedly battled back from 0-30 down in her service games to keep the second set close.

The pair exchanged breaks before Zheng played her worst game of the match to hurry Sabalenka along to a 4-3 lead.

Sabalenka’s quality then shone through as, with Zheng 40-0 up and serving to stay in the match, she hammered winners past her opponent to seal the match as quickly as possible.

“That was a true battle – I have no idea how I was able to get back into that first set,” Sabalenka said.

“I was ready to leave everything I have on court to win.”

Swiatek’s struggles in the build-up to the French Open were well-documented, but there was always a chance her game would click into place in Paris.

Victory over Elena Rybakina in the fourth round, with Swiatek battling back from a set and a break down, will have been a welcome confidence boost.

Although the first set was closer than the scoreline suggested, once Swiatek broke there was an inevitability about it.

One of the best frontrunners, Swiatek saved break points in her first service game, broke and then reeled off five games in a row to deflate Svitolina.

Svitolina, who has added more attack to her game since her return from maternity leave, took a 3-1 lead with some powerful hitting early in the second set.

But Swiatek broke back in the next game and, just as Sabalenka did, capitalised on a wobbly Svitolina service game to regain the break lead and ultimately serve out the match.

“I wanted to be proactive and really lead in the game, so I’m happy I did that,” Swiatek added.

The Spanish Grand Prix was won by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who took his fifth victory of the season from team-mate Lando Norris.

But the story of the race was the controversial series of events surrounding Max Verstappen in the closing laps.

Verstappen appeared to drive deliberately into George Russell’s Mercedes, a few laps after he left the track while battling for position with the Briton.

Following the race in Barcelona, BBC Sport F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions.

Should Max Verstappen have been given a bigger penalty for his actions in the Spanish Grand Prix? Deliberately ramming another driver feels like the sort of action which would have led to a ban for the following race in times past – John

Everyone will have their own opinion on this.

It was clear after the race that many people in Formula 1 did not think Verstappen had behaved correctly in his collision with George Russell’s Mercedes at Turn Five, and he has now admitted that it was “not right and shouldn’t have happened”.

Asked whether Verstappen should have had the black flag – which disqualifies a driver from the race – Russell said: “If it was truly deliberate, then absolutely. Because you cannot deliberately crash into another driver.

“We’re putting our lives on the line. We’re fortunate the cars are as safe as they are these days. But we shouldn’t take it for granted.”

But penalties are at the stewards’ discretion and in this case they decided to give Verstappen a 10-second penalty, a relatively severe sanction, and three points on his licence.

Why was this adjudged to be a less serious offence than Russell cutting the chicane to pass a Williams in Monaco and not giving the place back, for which he got a drive-through penalty?

The stewards’ verdict did not address that, and an FIA spokesperson said they could not speak for the stewards as they are independent.

Those three points do put Verstappen one away from a ban. Which means any transgression in the next two races in Canada and Austria, and Verstappen will be forced to miss the next grand prix.

After that, some points come off his licence because they go beyond their year’s expiry date.

Given the stewards were not going to take any further action against Max Verstappen for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, do you think Red Bull pulled the trigger too early in ordering him to give the position back to George Russell? Danny

With the benefit of hindsight, this was one of two mistakes Red Bull made in the Spanish Grand Prix.

After the stewards launched an inquiry into the Verstappen-Russell incident in Turn One, Red Bull decided to order Verstappen to give the place back.

Team principal Christian Horner said the decision was based “on recent experience and looking at recent incidents”.

Verstappen had kept fourth position by taking to the escape road after the two had made light contact while Russell tried a passing move. He believed he was justified in keeping the place because he felt the Mercedes driver had barged him off the track.

Horner said Red Bull had contacted FIA race control and received nothing back and that, as it had gone to the stewards, “it looked for all intents and purposes that it was going to be a penalty”.

Horner added: “The argument is, was George under control at that point in time? Would he have made the corner? We’ve seen so many occasions this year where penalties have been given.

“You’re expecting to get a penalty, so that’s why it was, ‘OK, do you know what? We’re going to have to give this place up.'”

The stewards’ verdict was published some time after the race. It said that Russell had “momentarily lost control of the car and collided” with Verstappen, who “did not deliberately leave the track”. As a result, it said, they took no further action.

In other words, in their view, Verstappen could have justifiably kept the place.

There are two parts of the racing guidelines in play here. To be entitled to be given space – ie, to have been judged to have won the corner – the driver overtaking on the inside has to have his front axle “at least alongside the mirror of the other car prior to and at the apex”.

Russell seems to have complied with this.

But the car must also “be driven in a fully controlled manner particularly from entry to apex”.

This, the stewards decided, Russell had not. And that was also Verstappen’s opinion.

Horner said: “With hindsight, was it a mistake? Yeah, but I think that’s where it would be nice, as the referee, as a race director, to either say, ‘Play on,’ or ‘you need to give it back.’ It’s very hard for the team, subjectively, to try and make that call, because you’re going on historical precedents.”

The second decision Red Bull got wrong, Horner admitted, was the decision to pit Verstappen for fresh hard tyres under the safety car, one that Verstappen immediately questioned vociferously once he was back on track.

Horner acknowledged they should have left him out on his soft tyres. “He would have got passed by the two McLarens. Would he have got passed by (Charles) Leclerc? But you can only go with the information you have to hand.”

Could the cycling accident injury, a second angry outburst and very poor performances signal the beginning of the end for Lance Stroll at Aston Martin? – Peter

There are a lot of unanswered questions about this situation, but one that has been answered is whether Lance Stroll lost his temper in the Aston Martin garage after qualifying on Saturday.

On Sunday morning, this writer and another journalist asked an Aston Martin spokesperson whether claims that Stroll had banged equipment about, sworn at team members, and stormed out of the garage were true.

The spokesperson did not deny the story. They said: “Lance was upset.”

Later that evening, an Aston Martin source contacted BBC Sport to deny that anything was broken or that Stroll swore at colleagues. But not the central truth of the story.

This came to light after Aston Martin announced on Saturday evening that Stroll had withdrawn from the race because of pain in his hand and wrist, which they said his medical consultant believed was related to the operation he had after suffering two broken wrists in a cycling accident before the 2023 season.

There are a couple of ways of looking at this.

On the one hand, for Stroll to be so annoyed, apparently about being knocked out in Q2 and being 0.535secs slower than team-mate Fernando Alonso, suggests he is very invested in his attempt to be successful in F1.

Stroll’s previous outburst after qualifying came in a similar situation, when he had been over a second slower than Alonso in Qatar in 2023.

But it is very unusual for an F1 driver to deliberately skip a race for an injury or pain of this kind.

Many drivers race with injuries, and Stroll himself raced with two fractures at the start of 2023, after the operation that the team say his medical consultant believes is at the root of his current predicament.

As to whether this is the beginning of the end for Stroll, only he knows.

He has a seat at the team as long as he wants. His father Lawrence owns it, and he essentially bought it so Lance could have a drive in F1, with the aim of becoming world champion.

Stroll is far from the most communicative or amenable of F1 drivers with the media. But, whenever he is asked, he always says he is committed to F1 and the team.

Is there any evidence that McLaren have made changes to deal with how Lando Norris was struggling to get to grips with the car in qualifying. Is this the biggest difference between last year, where Norris was clearly the quicker McLaren driver, and this year where Oscar Piastri has had a clear edge? – Tom

Norris has admitted in the first part of this season that an aspect of the behaviour of the McLaren car has been affecting his qualifying form, particularly what team boss Andrea Stella says is a “numb” feeling from the front axle.

To resolve this issue, McLaren have been working with Norris on his driving, and have said that upgrades will be introduced to the car to help the issue.

Norris felt that he made a breakthrough with this in Monaco, where he took pole position. After he qualified second to team-mate Oscar Piastri in Spain, he was asked whether he still felt he had made that progress.

Norris replied: “The speed was easily there today. And sometimes you just don’t put the laps in. Today was good.

“I was a little bit behind at the start of qualifying and I caught up nicely. I know where I lost that time on the final lap. It was just trying a little bit too much and just not being quite tidy enough – especially around a lap like Barcelona.

“One little oversteer in Turn One, Turn Two, you kind of already know it’s going to be a tricky rest of the lap. So, it’s still good. I still feel fine. I’m happy with second, especially in Barcelona – it’s not the end of the world. So, a positive weekend.”

As for the dynamic between the two drivers, well, that’s still playing out. Let’s see how the next few races pan out.

Why did Ferrari leave Lewis Hamilton out so long before his second pit stop? He was two seconds in front of George Russell, who had made his second stop and afterwards he was 10 seconds behind. What is going on with that pit wall? – Mike

This topic was not covered in Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur’s post-race briefing. But bear in mind that running long is a standard tactic in Spain, to give the driver a tyre offset against a rival.

Russell was only two seconds behind Hamilton when Mercedes pitted him on lap 41, well within undercut range. So it would make sense for Ferrari to leave Hamilton out for exactly this reason.

In any case, this is not the biggest issue surrounding Hamilton after the Spanish Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion was downcast after the race. He mumbled through his media briefing, giving very short answers, if he answered questions at all, before excusing himself after a couple of minutes.

He said: “I have no idea why it was so bad”, and said it was the “worst race I’ve experienced, balance-wise.” There were “zero” positives, he said.

Hamilton’s concern, presumably, was his lack of pace.

He started the race two places ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc. It was an encouraging qualifying performance by Hamilton, even if the context was that Leclerc’s session had gone slightly awry as he tried to save two fresh sets of medium tyres for the race.

Leclerc passed Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli immediately and trailed close behind Hamilton until lap 10, when Ferrari ordered Hamilton to let him by.

In the subsequent five laps before his pit stop, Hamilton lost just under four seconds to his team-mate.

Leclerc stopped for the first time a lap later than Hamilton. By the time the Monegasque stopped again on lap 40, Hamilton was 10 seconds adrift.

That’s hardly a disaster, but nor is it what Hamilton expects of himself.

In the final part of the race, Vasseur said, Hamilton had a problem on his car, the identity of which he did not specify.

“He did 70% of the race in front of Russell,” Vasseur said. “I’m not sure that Russell said that the race was a disaster. Then we had an issue on the car, the last stint (after) the safety car. The result is not good, but he did 45 laps in front of Russell.”

It’s been a busy few days at Manchester United.

From agreeing to sign Matheus Cunha, speaking with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, finding out Bruno Fernandes won’t be joining Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal and that Jadon Sancho will return from Chelsea, along with a £5m payment, it has been a whirlwind return from their troubled post-season tour of Asia.

So, where are they now and what is their transfer strategy moving forward?

Fernandes took a bit of time mulling over the Al Hilal offer after United head coach Ruben Amorim said in Hong Kong on Friday he thought his captain would stay at the club.

The 30-year-old wanted to talk it through with his family as, after all, the sums being offered were truly staggering and could not just be dismissed out of hand.

At this point last week, many at United thought Fernandes would go. Now we know he won’t.

Lost amid his assertions about Fernandes, Amorim said something else that resonated.

Knowing nailing him down on individuals and specifics would be impossible, I asked Amorim if he knew what he wanted his squad to look like when pre-season training began at the start of July.

“Yes,” he said. “I have a clear idea what we want.

“As you know, we are bit limited and can’t do it all in one summer. But there is a clear picture for what we want.”

The initial approach – and as a guide it still holds – was to go for younger, hungry players, who can improve.

That is the basis on which 20-year-old Denmark international Patrick Dorgu arrived in a £25m deal from Serie A outfit Lecce in February to address the problematic left wing-back berth. It was the same with 18-year-old Arsenal central defender Ayden Heaven.

Both players made promising contributions, albeit in a struggling team.

However, some issues are so urgently in need of addressing, no time for development is available.

And, what Amorim wanted, as an absolute priority, was to reinforce his attack.

Time and again towards the end of the Premier League season, the United boss had lamented his side’s ability to make the most of the chances they were creating.

Between them, Wolves’ Cunha and Mbeumo scored 35 league goals last season. The campaign before, it was 21.

They are proven in England in a way Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were not before moving to United for a combined fee of almost £110m in the summers of 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Two signings alone is a bit early to confirm a significant shift away from buying in from overseas – and the arrival of Mason Mount from Chelsea in 2023 is proof United had not completely ignored the domestic market before.

But it does take out some of the risk when you buy players who know the challenges that lie ahead.

“I think they are players who can come in and hit the ground running,” former United skipper Gary Neville told Sky Sports.

“United has become a very difficult place for new signings to operate in the last 10 years. Cunha and Mbeumo have got Premier League experience and lots of games under their belt.

“When I watch Manchester United’s wide players, they have to be able to get from box to box quickly, and they have to be able to travel with the ball and without the ball. Mbeumo and Cunha can do that, they both run forward with real intent and purpose.

“The players who are going to leave are more jinkers and play in smaller spaces.”

The great unknown is whether Amorim would play Cunha and Mbeumo – if he signs and, as yet, United have not made contact with Brentford – behind a number nine in the two ’10’ slots, or if one of them will operate as a main striker, or they will swap.

Amorim was adamant in Hong Kong that United could work around Fernandes staying at Old Trafford from a financial point of view.

However, the situation is not straightforward.

With no European football of any sort next season, finances will be tight. Amorim has already said he can operate with a smaller squad given there are fewer matches, so sales are inevitable.

Broadly speaking, there are three categories.

Players Amorim just does not want – so the likes of Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

Players who have struggled and it would make sense to sell – Hojlund and Zirkzee fit into this group, as does Casemiro.

Then, the bulk are players who have something to offer and United would be open to keeping but would let go if the right bid came in.

Yet the major issue around all of this is how long would it take to do a deal and how much would it cost?

Take Sancho for example.

It has been established Chelsea would have signed him on reduced terms, which he was not prepared to accept.

If a Premier League club that has just qualified for the Champions League are baulking at Sancho’s wages, it is fair to assume most other clubs will reach the same conclusion.

If Sancho refuses to drop his demands and Amorim wants him out, United will have to negotiate some kind of compromise.

This puts them back in the uncomfortable position of paying a player to play for a rival. It is the kind of situation minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe finds so irritating and wants to end.

Yet, when you take a realistic approach to Sancho, Antony and Rashford in particular, it is hard to see how that situation is avoided. The same could also be said of many United players who remained at the club last season.

The matches may have finished but for United technical director Jason Wilcox and chief negotiator Matt Hargreaves, the hard work is just beginning.

It is how well they do, getting players in and out, that will determine how much progress Amorim can be expected to make.

Brentford have signed goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool to replace Netherlands stopper Mark Flekken, who has left the Bees to join Bayer Leverkusen.

The move for Republic of Ireland international Kelleher is for an initial £12.5m, which could rise to £18m with add-ons, and Flekken has been sold for a fee in the region of £8m.

Kelleher has signed a five-year contract with Brentford, who have the option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

Liverpool have sold the 26-year-old with Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili joining them in July to compete for the number one shirt with established first choice Alisson Becker.

“I don’t think it was very difficult for me to leave [Liverpool],” said Kelleher. “I felt for my own career that the time was right for me to go, to be a number one and to play every week.

“I heard of some interest a number of weeks ago. Once I knew Brentford was in for me, it was definitely one I was really excited about and wanted to do as quickly as possible.”

Kelleher played in 25 Premier League games for Liverpool since making his debut five years ago.

He also made more than 40 cup appearances for the Reds and won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups and a Uefa Super Cup in his time at Anfield.

“We have scouted him in the past and were aware that he had a year to go on his contract with Liverpool this summer,” said Brentford director of football Phil Giles.

“When Mark Flekken had the opportunity to move to Bayer Leverkusen, we immediately thought about Caoimhin as his replacement.

“As well as being a very good goalkeeper, I’ve rarely met a player for whom everybody has such positive words to say about his personality and character. I’m therefore confident he’ll be an excellent addition to the squad.”

Flekken, who has signed a three-year deal with Leverkusen, had been at Brentford since joining from Freiburg in May 2023.

The 31-year-old made 77 appearances for the west London club and helped them finish 10th in the Premier League last season.

“Mark has proven to be a seamless replacement for David Raya, who set an extremely high standard during his years with us,” added Giles.

“We were expecting Mark to be our goalkeeper for many more years, however when Bayer Leverkusen made it known that they wanted to do this transfer, and Mark made it clear that he was interested in moving closer to home and with a possibility of Champions League football, we turned our attention towards how all parties could make this happen.

“Mark has done a great job for us and leaves with our thanks and support.”

Leverkusen recently appointed former Ajax and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag as their new manager following the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.

“Mark Flekken possesses a wide range of skills that a goalkeeper in modern top-flight football must possess,” said Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes.

“Mark exudes an impressive physical presence; from a footballing perspective, he has certainly been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League over the past two years.”

Chelsea have opted not to sign winger Jadon Sancho on a permanent basis and will instead pay a £5m penalty to send the player back to Manchester United.

However the Blues have expressed their interest to AC Milan in signing France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Sancho moved to Stamford Bridge on loan last summer after his relationship with former United manager Erik ten Hag broke down.

United, who signed Sancho for £73m from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, are happy for the 25-year-old to leave.

Chelsea did not pay a loan fee for the player and covered just half of his reported £300,000-a-week wages.

The Blues had agreed an obligation to buy Sancho for a fee of about 25m if they finished higher than 14th in the Premier League, which they did – or pay to get out of the deal.

However, the club and the player’s representatives have not been able to agree on a contract for Sancho, who would have had to take a pay cut from his deal at United.

The England forward has a year remaining on his United contract, and the club still owe £17m to Dortmund.

Sancho scored in the 4-1 win over Real Betis on Wednesday to help Chelsea win the Conference League – their first trophy since February 2022 – and ended the season with five goals and 10 assists in 42 games.

Although he is under contract until 30 June at Chelsea, he is unlikely to play for them in this month’s Club World Cup in the United States.

Chelsea have learned that doing a deal for Maignan is a possibility, because the goalkeeper would be interested in a move to Stamford Bridge.

The 29-year-old has been a regular for Milan since joining them on a five-year contract from Lille in 2021.

He has been first choice for France since Hugo Lloris retired from international football in January 2023.

Chelsea have struggled to find a long-term option in goal since buying Kepa Arrizabalaga in 2018 for £71m, which remains the world-record fee for a goalkeeper.

Two years later they brought in Edouard Mendy, who left for Al-Ahli in 2023, while Kepa has spent the past two seasons on loan at Real Madrid and then Bournemouth.

In the past two years the Blues have also signed Robert Sanchez, Djordje Petrovic and Filip Jorgensen but the club appears unconvinced by all three.

Petrovic spent last term on loan at Strasbourg while Sanchez and Jorgensen both had spells in the Chelsea team.