What is Chelsea doing? Although the Blues’ current squad now includes over 40 players, owner Todd Boehly continues to buy. There seem to be no limits for the London club, especially in the goalkeeper position.
According to consistent media reports, goalkeeper Mike Penders from KRC Genk will also join the Blues. Even though the 19-year-old will be loaned back to Belgium immediately after signing, he would currently be the eighth professional goalkeeper in the Chelsea squad.
The news of the impending Penders transfer has caused head-shaking even within the club: “I am speechless,” said former Chelsea player William Gallas to the Daily Mail. “What more can I say about Chelsea signing another goalkeeper? For what? Why do they think they need another goalkeeper?”
Chelsea has been well-staffed in the goalkeeper position since the return of the three loan players Kepa Arrizabalaga (Real Madrid), Lucas Bergström (IF Brommapojkarna, Sweden) and Eddie Beach (FC Gateshead, third English league), with Robert Sanchez, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic and new signing Filip Jörgensen also having valid contracts.
Bergström, Beach and Penders are at least still to be loaned out and would therefore not flood the squad next season, but the battle for the number one spot between the posts is more exciting than ever: A three-way battle is looming between Sanchez, Petrovic and the 25 million euro Jörgensen, in which no decision has yet been made a week before the start of the league.
While the 32-year-old Bettinelli is to be kept as a cost-effective fourth goalkeeper, Chelsea are still hoping to sell Kepa. After the Premier League club paid a whopping €80 million for the most expensive goalkeeper in history to date in 2018, the Spaniard was never able to live up to the high expectations.
His loan season at Real Madrid also ended unsuccessfully: The 29-year-old was brought in as a replacement for the then injured Thibaut Courtois, but in the end the actual backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin prevailed. Since Kepa’s contract at Chelsea expires next year, the Blues are now likely to offload him cheaply.
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