Chelsea to MISS out on goalkeeper they NEED to target after Mendy howler

Tom Weber

• Updated: 15 May 2023 13:15 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea need to upgrade their goalkeeping department after Edouard Mendy's howler at the weekend, but the player they should be targeting could already be on his way to Manchester United.

The Blues have long been in the market for a goalkeeper. Kepa Arrizebalaga has not lived up to his world-record fee since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, while Edouard Mendy, his nominal replacement, has had his own issues with form and fitness.

Uncertainty over whether Mendy will sign a new deal has been hanging over Chelsea for much of this season, and there are some murmurs that they could be keen to cash in on the Senegalese while they still can this summer. After his error against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest at the weekend, which saw Chelsea unable to muster more than a 2-2 draw, these murmurs could increase in volume.

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One of the goalkeepers Todd Boehly and company have been repeatedly linked with is Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel, but he could be on his way to Old Trafford if recent reports are to be believed.

Are Chelsea prepared to fight?

The Swiss is a modern goalkeeper in the truest sense of the term. Comfortable with the ball at his feet and a solid shot-stopper, Kobel has all the trappings of becoming a world-class keeper. There is still room to improve, of course, but he is only 25; in other words, he is still a youth in goalkeeping terms.

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea are interested and they even reportedly met with his representatives when Dortmund travelled to London earlier this year. But now, reports suggest that Manchester United are considering a move for Kobel.

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The Blues can ill afford to stand idly by and let the Swiss move to Old Trafford. They should be prepared to fight tooth and nail for his signature as he could conceivably be the solution to their goalkeeping woes for the next decade.