New Premier League Champions Chelsea are reportedly eyeing a move for Paris Saint-Germain’s second choice shot stopper Alphonse Areola as Asmir Begovic sealed a move to Bournemouth lately. The 24-year-old French international has shown glimpses of brilliance last season but could only get limited chances at PSG.
At the prime of his career, what Areola desperately needs is more game time at the top level, and with Chelsea challenging in as many as four competitions next season, the possible second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois can expect many chances with the Blues. With all big teams now deputising specialist goalkeepers for categorised tournaments, it is time Chelsea follow the trend too.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had kept Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero for different leagues and although he had to juggle his options, it was more due to form rather than strategy. Jose Mourinho deputised David De Gea for the Premier League and Sergio Romero for Europa League. The Argentine kept his place all the way to the final. Arsene Wenger had deputised three different goalies for three different tournaments- Petr Cech for Premier League, David Ospina for Champions League and Emiliano Martinez for EFL Cup and initial FA Cup games.
And with fixtures getting all the more hectic next season, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is likely to take the same path. Begovic could only manage eight matches under his belt last season, where he conceded 12 goals. Areola holds a better record having conceded 14 goals in 15 matches.
In fact, Areola lost his place to PSG’s first-choice Kevin Trapp after starting the season as the favourite for manager Unai Emery. However, he is now looking for chances elsewhere for more first-team action, which is a pretty difficult job for young goalkeepers, as top sides usually prefer experienced hands under the bar.
Areola’s Champions League experience could come in handy for Chelsea as the Frenchman was quite decent in PSG’s group stages conceding just seven goals in six matches. Emery decided to go with first-choice Trapp against Barcelona, where they bottled up massively.
An academy product of PSG, Areola has spent loan stints with Ligue 1 sides Lens, SC Bastia, and La Liga side Villarreal before PSG took him permanently in the summer of 2016. His contract with PSG is expiring in 2019, which makes his price heavy. Breaking into the French first team is a tremendously difficult task at the moment but with Chelsea, Areola can take his chances with the World Cup knocking at the door.
