Chelsea eye Arsenal star as Pochettino targets priority position

Suraj Radia

• 2 May 2024 19:45 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea appear to be stepping up their chase for a goalkeeper after yet another international shot stopper was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have been rotating with Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic in goal this season but neither appears to have convinced the club of their credentials of being Mauricio Pochettino’s undisputed number one.

Chelsea will operate under tight constraints in the summer after spending more than £1 billion on players since Todd Boehly’s takeover in 2022 but it appears a goalkeeper will be one of the top targets for the club.

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Everton star Jordan Pickford was speculated as a target for Chelsea earlier this week and his international teammate Aaron Ramsdale is now thought to be another option according to LondonWorld.

Ramsdale has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal following the arrival of David Raya and the 25-year-old will be sold this summer if the right bid is received, despite his desire to remain at the club.

With Ramsdale being young and homegrown, he fits Chelsea’s philosophy for signings, although Arsenal will likely demand in excess of £30m for a player they signed for £25m in 2021.

Former Arsenal legend has ‘never understood’ Ramsdale decision

Mikel Arteta had previously suggested he would rotate between his keepers this season but Ramsdale has started just two Premier League games since September – both against Brentford when Raya was ineligible to play.

Ramsdale has made a series of errors in his limited appearances, while Raya – who also has a number of mistakes to his name – has helped Arsenal build the best defence in the Premier League.

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Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who was the number one during the Gunners’ invincible season in 2004, admitted he did not understand why Ramsdale had been replaced.

“I never ever understood the Ramsdale decision," Lehmann told the Daily Mail. “If you have a good, brave English keeper at a big English club doing well and then you bring in a Spanish guy who has never played for a big club at that level – it just doesn’t make sense.

“The keeper is the most important position in the team. If I were Ramsdale, I don’t know how I would react because it’s not easy at that age. When you’re older, it’s different.”