According to a recent report by German News outlet Bild, Premier League giants Chelsea are said to have placed keen eyes on veteran Bayern Munich shot-stopper Manuel Neuer. It has been suggested that Frank Lampard could make a move for the World Cup winner in the summer if they’re able to find a willing buyer to acquire the services of their current first-choice goalkeeper – Spanish international Kepa Arrizabalaga.
It has been claimed that the German international shot-stopper is yet to come to terms with Munich about a new contract, even though his current tenure at the club is set to expire in the summer of 2021. Although both the parties involved have been maintaining talks for quite some time, there doesn’t seem to be a solution in place at this point. Moreover, the fact that Bayern Munich would surely not want this contract debacle to go on for too long could also tempt Neuer into making a move.
What Would Chelsea Be Getting By Acquiring Manuel Neuer?
The German international is one of the few household names in the European footballing scene at the moment and with good reason. The Bayern Munich man has consistently been amongst the best keepers in the world for many years now, and despite his ripe age of 33, there’s no denying that the German could well play for another five years at the least. Considering that Gianluigi Buffon, at 42, is still able to play for a club like Juventus, shows that Neuer still has a lot left in his tank.
The German international shot-stopper has picked up the two most valuable prizes in the game of football along the way – the UEFA Champions League back in 2013, and then the FIFA World Cup, when they beat Argentina in the final of the 2014 edition.
The former Schalke academy graduate has kept a whopping ten clean sheets from 25 league fixtures this season, while his career numbers with the club read 266 goals conceded from 373 fixtures. The most amazing statistic about Neuer is that the German’s clean-sheet rate at Munich is more than 50 per cent of all the matches he’s played for the club.
Why Chelsea Targeting Neuer Could Be A Good Deal?
One thing that can be said with confidence is that Neuer and Chelsea have history, in that they faced off against each other in the final of the Champions League in 2012. Although the Blues were the eventual winners on the day, Manuel Neuer showed himself in an excellent light by saving a Juan Mata penalty, before slotting one past Petr Cech himself. This proved that despite having a bad day, the German was up to the challenge, and that’s the kind of spirit and experience that Lampard would be after.
Additionally, Chelsea’s current keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has had an extremely questionable campaign so far. Although he’s made some strong saves along the way, the Spaniard’s save percentage is among the lowest in the league, and that’s something that the Blues’ backroom team will be eager to change. Also, the fact that Willy Caballero is in the final leg of his career could also be motivation enough. One thing is for sure, Neuer still has a lot left in him, and the Blues will do well to sign him up as a replacement for Kepa in the summer.
