Five young goalkeepers who could replace Kepa and Mendy at Chelsea

Robin Bairner

• 30 Nov 2022 12:27 GMT
• 4 min read

Chelsea’s hunt for a new goalkeeper is set to step up in the weeks ahead, with neither Kepa Arizabalaga nor Edouard Mendy’s future at the club secure.

The Sun reports that Chelsea are considering offloading one of the goalkeepers in January in order to make way for a new first-choice shot-stopper at Stamford Bridge.

This comes despite Mendy winning the Best FIFA Goalkeeper of 2021, with the Senegal No.1 having quickly fallen out of favour under Graham Potter.

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Chelsea’s transfer policy, meanwhile, is to buy young players who have both immediate talent and the room to grow their game.

With this in mind, which keepers could the Blues be targeting? FootballTransfers has taken a look in conjunction with data analytics experts SciSports to assess their options, looking for players in this role 25 or under and with the potential to grow.

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Unai Simon – Club Athletic

Wanted by Manchester United as a replacement for David de Gea, but the 25-year-old must also be an option for Chelsea. Kepa’s experience at Stamford Bridge after moving from Athletic may be an off-putting factor for the Spain goalkeeper but he fits the criteria that the Blues have nicely.

FootballTransfers value: €40m

Robert Sanchez – Brighton

Another 25-year-old Spaniard, Sanchez is perhaps the favourite to move to Chelsea, having worked extensively with Graham Potter at Brighton. Though born in Spain, the keeper, who is also at Qatar 2022, has been with the Seagulls since he was 15 years old, having moved there from Levante. Premier League experience with certainly count in his favour.

According to SciSports, he has the third highest potential of all goalkeepers aged 25 and under, behind only Simon and PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma.

FootballTransfers value: €25m

Ilan Meslier – Leeds

Long touted for a big move, the 22-year-old Frenchman has been Leeds’ No.1 since claiming the gloves from Kiko Casilla in 2020 under Marcelo Bielsa. There are still signs of rawness in the former Lorient youth, meaning that he can be prone to giving away cheap goals, but he is also capable of extraordinary feats.

FootballTransfers value: €24m

Maarten Vandevoordt – Genk

Vandervoordt’s future appears to be pathed out already. The 20-year-old has agreed to join RB Leipzig in 2024, yet the Bundesliga club have shown in the past that they are not against breaking such deals if there is a suitable financial incentive.

Chelsea would be well advised to keep tabs on the giant Belgian, who is already closing on 100 senior appearances for his club. He is also the youngest goalkeeper to play in the Champions League.

Unlike the others mentioned on this list, he is likelier to be happy being a second-string goalkeeper to begin with, arguably making him more suitable.

FootballTransfers value: €13m

Alban Lafont – Nantes

Once regarded as the brightest young goalkeeping star in the world, Lafont’s star has faded a little in recent times. Nevertheless, the athletic shot-stopper’s decision to move back to Ligue 1 from Fiorentina has paid off. He is once again around the France squad, although he did not make it to the World Cup, and has been a key figure in the resurgence of Antoine Kombouare’s side, who will face Juventus in the Europa League in the spring.

FootballTransfers value: €17m

Ted Curd – Chelsea U18

Chelsea already have an outstanding young goalkeeper on their books in the form of 16-year-old Ted Curd, who is a player that SciSports believes has the potential to become one of the best in the world. Clearly, he’s still some distance from making the step up to first-team football, but he’s a player worth flagging to Chelsea fans as one to keep an eye on in the future.