In a recent report, The Daily Mirror has stated that Chelsea are ready to step up their efforts to land Stade Rennais goalie Edouard Mendy this week. It is understood that the Blues are prepared to step up their chase for the Senegalese keeper with Petr Cech driving the move to bring him to Stamford Bridge this summer (via The Daily Mirror).
Mendy’s Recent Rise To Prominence In French Football
The France-born talent encountered a solid campaign at Rennes after producing a string of impressive displays as Julien Stéphan’s first-choice keeper. The promising keeper conceded 31 goals and kept 13 clean sheets in 33 appearances for the French side in the last term on all fronts.
Mendy won the man of the match award twice last season and made 70.1% of his attempted passes in the Ligue 1 last term (stats via whoscored). The two-time Senegalese international has featured in one match for Rennes this term, conceding one goal in their opening-day encounter against LOSC Lille last month.
The 28-year-old is slowly becoming a real fan-favourite at the Roazhon Park. However, he needs to win trophies at the highest level, so a summer move to Chelsea could be too tempting for him to turn down during this summer transfer period.
What Will The Senegalese International Bring To The English Capital?
Standing at 1.97m, Mendy is an intimidating presence in between the sticks and can use his strong frame to dominate his six-yard box with authority and conviction. He doesn’t have too many weaknesses in his game and has made a habit of making some important stops at the back using his fast reflexes and strong palms. The Senegalese goalie is also a decent handler of the ball but needs to take care of the ball more when passing it out from his penalty box.
Mendy is an experienced and reliable keeper who would add some stability to Frank Lampard’s first-team if the Blues can lure him to West London this summer. However, one can argue whether he has what it takes to compete against the best players in the Premier League, where he will be tested both physically and mentally on the pitch every week.
At 28, Mendy still has plenty of time left in him to perform at top gear, so he could prove to be a shrewd signing for Chelsea in the long-run. The Senegalese goalkeeper will offer some serious competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero in the race to be Lampard’s first-choice keeper at Stamford Bridge in the upcoming campaign.
Mendy’s experience and proven track record make him a safe option, but only if he is available for a fair price in this off-season. Otherwise, the Blues should start looking at some of their other targets as there is still plenty of time left to run in this ongoing transfer window.
