- 19 hours ago
Chelsea's FOUR transfer targets amid goalkeeping uncertainty
Chelsea are eyeing three Premier League stars and one Bundesliga standout as they seek to fix their goalkeeping situation.
Despite winning goalkeeper of the year merely a year ago, shot-stopper Edouard Mendy has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge.
A refused contract extension in December and a lengthy injury layoff has seen the 31-year-old lose his starting spot to Kepa Arrizabalaga, though Chelsea are not keen on keeping the Spaniard as their number one beyond this season given his proneness to error.
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Now back from the sidelines, Mendy will seek to win back his place in the side, but whether he will remain with Chelsea for much longer remains to be seen.
New contract talks are moving slowly and the London club are said to be open to the possibility of unloading the Senegalese, who has two years left on his deal this summer.
Brentford, Brighton and Leeds keepers linked
As we reported yesterday, one of Chelsea's targets is Dortmund star Gregor Kobel, with preliminary talks having already taken place. Nothing concrete has developed on that front yet, and Kobel might prefer staying with the Germans for another season before taking the next step in his career.
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So what are the alternatives? According to Sky, Chelsea have also earmarked Brentford's David Raya, Brighton's Robert Sanchez and Leeds' Illan Meslier as potential Mendy replacements.
All three of them have impressed in recent seasons, so it's no surprise that a big side is lurking, but are they good enough to help Chelsea get back to the top of the Premier League?
A goalkeeping expert has told FootballTransfers that Raya would be among the best possible options for the Blues as the 27-year-old is dynamic and dependable.
He wasn't as bullish on Robert Sanchez, saying that he is "a bit overrated." But Graham Potter - if he is to survive beyond this season - might throw his weight behind signing the Spaniard as he is a former player of his.
As for Meslier, it's clear that he would be a good option for the future, but at 23 he is still very young for his position and has a tendency to be inconsistent due to his relative inexperience.
Should Chelsea bring in a fresh face or should they swallow their pride and give Mendy the improved deal he is asking for?