‘Two big players for sale’ – why time is running out for Theo and Maignan

The fall-out after AC Milan’s Europa League elimination and derby loss continues, with a report this morning claiming that two star players are now up for sale.

This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes how the loss to Inter on Monday night was far from positive for Maignan and Theo, who are two of the undisputed leaders of the squad.

The goalkeeper was beaten twice and on the second it seemed he could have done more. His charisma seems to have waned with the team’s negative results. The full-back ended the match jumpy and on edge, so much so that he was sent off for another altercation with Denzel Dumfries.

With the season virtually closed and a coaching change in sight, the reflections on the future of the two Frenchmen are becoming more intricate, between renewal and lurking potential big names .

Time running out

Both Maignan and Theo are united by the expiration of their contracts: June 2026 . There are still a good two years left before the end and yet for Milan, the paper adds, it is important to move early, mindful of previous experiences.

The objective would be to obtain the two renewals before the start of next season, otherwise the complications could increase. Both are happy at Milan but it is clear that the progress of the last two seasons and the end of the Pioli cycle could impact the decisions of the two players.

Maignan is hungry to win trophies and has built his mentality on this: after two years without any, the former Lille man’s faith in the Rossoneri project has waned and it seems that his performances have also suffered as a result.

On the other hand, Theo has always been very happy at Milan but in recent weeks he has had a significant decline which also coincided with a good dose of apprehension. With Paolo Maldini’s farewell, many things have changed for him and they could also change with Pioli’s farewell.