Who is Djordje Petrovic? Chelsea’s new goalkeeper hero

Cameron Smith

• 19 Dec 2023 22:29 GMT
• 3 min read

While Robert Sanchez was Chelsea's marquee goalkeeper signing, they also added New England Revolution shot-stopper Djordje Petrovic for a fee of €14 million.

His arrival came following the departures of Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan to Real Madrid and Edouard Mendy's permanent move to Saudi Pro League Al-Ahli.

Sanchez immediately became Chelsea's number one, but upon an injury to the Spaniard against Everton in December 2023, Petrovic was given his chance.

He kept a clean sheet on his debut against Sheffield United and was then the hero when he saved Matt Ritchie's penalty in Chelsea's shootout win over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.

Petrovic has enjoyed a rather under the radar career to date, so who is Chelsea's new goalkeeper star?

What position does Djordje Petrovic play?

Petrovic is a goalkeeper, who specialises in shot-stopping.

How good is Djordje Petrovic?

The Serbian goalkeeper had already earned international recognition before he moved to the MLS, with Petrovic making his Serbia debut back in January 2021.

That came during his time at FK Čukarički, who finished third in the Serbian top flight that campaign.

He earned a move to New England Revolution in 2022 and was one of the MLS' outstanding goalkeepers during his time in the division. Petrovic kept seven clean sheets in his debut year in the USA and he matched that tally in 2023, despite the fact he left halfway through the campaign.

Petrovic is an excellent shot-stopper and he excels at one-on-one saves inside the penalty area, using a combination of his feet and hands to deny attackers.

During his short stay in the MLS, he ranked second for saves (184) and his save percentage of 82.7% in the 2022 season was better than Kepa has ever managed in his career when playing over 400 minutes in a campaign.

Furthermore, it would have ranked better than any goalkeeper in the Premier League in the 2022-23 campaign; David Raya's 77.7% save percentage was the best in the English top flight, by comparison.

While Sanchez was signed as Chelsea's new number one, his injury has provided a chance for Petrovic to shine and his first two starts for the club were simply excellent.

His spectacular save from Ritchie's penalty was no surprise, however, as he set a new MLS record for the fastest goalkeeper to save five penalties in the competition's history.

What clubs are interested in Djordje Petrovic?

Manchester United have previously held interest in Petrovic, but he joined Chelsea instead.

When does Djordje Petrovic's contract expire?

Petrovic's contract at Chelsea runs until 2030.

How old is Djordje Petrovic?

Petrovic was born on October, 8 1999. He is 24 years old.

What is Djordje Petrovic's Instagram?

Petrovic's Instagram handle is dj.petrovic12. He has 92.4k followers as of December 2023.