Chelsea are hoping to part ways with either Edouard Mendy or Kepa Arrizabalaga during the summer transfer window....CONTINUE READING
The two shot-stoppers have rotated in the Blues’ starting lineup during their topsy-turvy campaign, in which Mendy began as Thomas Tuchel’s number one.
However, after undergoing surgery on a fractured finger and spending four months on the sidelines after the World Cup, the door was open for Kepa to return in between the sticks.
The Spaniard, who lost his spot in goal to Mendy following his counterpart’s 2020 arrival from Rennes, had initially benched the Senegal international for six Premier League matches in October and November, as well as getting the nod for their first five Champions League group-stage games.
Despite facing some criticism for his performances, Kepa has retained the trust of Frank Lampard since Mendy’s return to fitness, and he has started the Blues’ last two Premier League games after Mendy briefly returned for their 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.
With neither goalkeeper cementing their status as Chelsea’s number one, the Blues are expected to be in the market for a new shot-stopper in the coming months, plunging both of their Stamford Bridge futures into uncertainty.
According to 90Min, Chelsea are set to sell only one of Mendy or Kepa in the upcoming transfer window, and the former is currently viewed as the most likely out of the two to move on.
Both goalkeepers are only under contract in West London for another two years, but Kepa – who became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he joined in a £71.6m deal from Athletic Bilbao four years ago – is thought to be on a substantially higher wage than Mendy.
As a result, the Senegal international will likely be easier to offload this summer, and he is thought to be on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur as they plan for life without Hugo Lloris.
Despite the London rivalry between the two sides, Chelsea are unlikely to turn their noses up to a deal given that the Blues are under pressure to make a plethora of sales ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Edouard Mendy in action for Chelsea on August 27, 2022
Chelsea reported a loss of £121m in their latest financial accounts, and the sale of Kepa would help trim their wage bill further, but his extortionate pay packet could scupper the Blues’ chances of shipping him out too.
Instead, Chelsea could try to include either Kepa or Mendy in a part-exchange deal for one of their goalkeeping targets, namely Inter Milan number one Andre Onana.
Brentford’s David Raya and Porto’s Diogo Costa are also believed to have admirers in West London, as does Brighton & Hove Albion’s Robert Sanchez, but the Spaniard has been demoted to the Seagulls bench by Jason Steele in recent weeks.
As well as Kepa and Mendy, Chelsea have Marcus Bettinelli and Gabriel Slonina in their goalkeeping ranks, and the former recently signed a new deal until 2026, in spite of the fact that he has played just one game for the club since joining from Fulham in 2021.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old American starlet Slonina has made eight Premier League 2 appearances for the Under-21s since returning from his loan at Chicago Fire, but the teenager could be allowed to leave on another temporary basis to a European club next season.
