AC Milan head coach Vincenzo Montella recently admitted that his veteran goalkeeper Diego Lopez could still move to England with Premier League club Chelsea FC any time soon as the Spain international "has not ruled anything out" with regards to his transfer this summer.
The 34-year-old goal tender is rumored to be targeted by new Blues head coach Antonio Conte as a potential replacement for disgruntled keeper Asmir Begovic, who is said to be unhappy about being demoted as backup to up-and-coming Belgian shot stopper Thibaut Courtois at the Stamford Bridge.
Lopez is said to be open to the move even as he has yet to decide on what his future is going to be, according to the Evening Standard.
Talking to the press after Milan's 1-3 defeat to Chelsea in a 2016 International Champions Cup match on Wednesday at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the 42-year-old Italian mentor said that Lopez is a "great goalkeeper but he doesn't know what the future holds for him as it has not been decided".
"He has not ruled anything out," confirmed Montella, who was hired by the Red and Blacks last June.
Meanwhile, Lopez had been playing the backup role for quite some time now since Italian teenager Gianluigi Donnarumma had broken through as I Rossoneri's first-choice goalie.
Lopez had also been beset by injuries and so he could not reclaim the starting spot from Donnarumma, which led to speculations that he may also be considering a move away from the San Siro, as per Caught Offside.
The report also said that Montella is "unlikely to stand in the way of Lopez leaving, with Milan boasting several promising options behind Donnarumma who continues to establish himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Serie A".
Lopez, who was acquired from La Liga giants Real Madrid in the summer of 2014 for an undisclosed amount, had only appeared in eight games last term for Il Diavolo in the Italian top flight competitions, which was 20 less than the season before.
In comparison, the 17-year-old Donnarumma was trusted with 30 appearances by Milan's previous coaching staff and senior officials last season.