According to a recent report by Goal, Premier League giants Chelsea are said to have sent out a fresh €20m bid for the services of Rennes’ Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The report suggests that the Blues have been in the hunt for a new name between the sticks, with Mendy being eyed as a potential replacement of alternative to current number one Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spaniard’s future as a Chelsea player has been in doubt for a while now, and the constant transfer links certainly won’t be doing him any favours either.
Although the report has clarified that Chelsea are interested in Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, the real question that arises will be regarding Kepa’s future at Stamford Bridge. It has been suggested that the Blues had made an initial €15m bid to Rennes earlier in the week, but the Ligue 1 side were quick to turn it down. Whether or not Lampard’s improved bid will be enough to convince Rennes to sell remains to be seen, but one thing that’s for sure is that the London club aren’t willing to depend on the Spaniard in the long-run.
What Is Chelsea’s Current Situation In Between The Sticks?
The Blues currently boast two distinct goalkeeping options to choose from, Spanish ace Kepa Arrizabalaga and Argentine veteran Willy Caballero. The former Athletic Bilbao man became the most expensive goalkeeper in the world when the Blues acquired him for an absolutely mammoth fee, and it’s safe to say that he has so far failed to live up to expectations. Although the initial signs were positive, the stopper’s apparent inability to make even the simplest of saves has raised various questions about his actual quality over the last couple of seasons.
The issues that he had with Maurizio Sarri have been well documented. At the same time, Frank Lampard’s treatment of the Spaniard last season was the perfect indicator of the kind of inconsistency that the Spaniard boasts. The gaffer’s decision to drop Kepa and replace him with an ageing Caballero must be perceived as a message to the former Bilbao man. Sevilla and Valencia are both said to have registered an interest in acquiring the Spaniard, and it would be quite surprising to see the Blues not at least attempting to cash in on him this summer.
What Makes Edouard Mendy A Good Option For Chelsea?
The Senegalese international stopper has been a renowned feature in the Ligue 1 scene over the last couple of seasons, and it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that he is attracting attention from across the English Channel. Standing at over 1.9m tall, Mendy would offer Lampard’s side a much more composed and secure presence in between the sticks, something they have been terribly lacking for quite a while now. Mendy conceded just 19 goals from his 24 Ligue 1 outings last season, and numbers like that are enough to turn the heads of scouts all over Europe.
Chelsea Are Interested In Rennes Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy: Good Kepa Replacement?
Although it could be argued that any top level keeper in the world would do a better job than Kepa for Chelsea, spending another humongous sum without proper research and scouting could turn out to be a monumental disaster by the Blues. Kepa’s signing, after two years of turmoil, can now be branded as an utter failure, and replacing him before the start of the new season is going to be essential. Considering the system that Lampard has been trying to build at Chelsea, big things are likely to be on the horizon at Stamford Bridge, but hoping to do that with Kepa in between the sticks will only be a pipe dream for Chelsea fans.
