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.

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.

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.