London giants Chelsea have identified the goalkeeper spot as the next area that needs to be strengthened this summer, as per reports.
The Blues have been absolutely ruthless in the ongoing transfer window, having already sealed the signatures of five first-team players. Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, and Thiago Silva will now be joined by Bundesliga superstar Kai Havertz who joined for a fee of £71m deal excluding add-ons.
However, Chelsea have also been linked with more players this summer as they look to strengthen their goalkeeping department.
Mendy, Maignan, and others linked as Chelsea hope to bolster options in goal
As per several reports, Chelsea have been in talks with Rennes over a potential transfer of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The 28-year-old has managed an impressive 23 clean sheets in 63 games in Ligue 1, and was particularly impressive for a high-flying Renne with 13 shutouts in 2019/20.
Chelsea's links with Mendy emerged after their talks with Lille's Mike Maignan fell through. The Lille star, as per Sky Sports, wasn't happy that a deal was not reached ahead of his national team duty with France.
While Mendy is set to cost in the region of £18m, Lille were hoping to bag a figure of £32m from Maignan's potential departure. Andre Onana is another keeper linked with a move to Chelsea and has been in the fray for a considerable while.
Kepa Arrizabalaga's torrid performances this year have forced Chelsea to look elsewhere for reinforcements. The Spaniard lost his place to deputy keeper Willy Caballero towards the end of the campaign, and was overlooked for several crunch fixtures.
Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak was also linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. However, given the vast amount of money already spent by the Blues this summer and that Oblak is expected to cost in excess of £100m, a move appears unlikely as of now.
The Slovenian didn't deny the interest amidst a lot of speculation regarding a move to Chelsea. Speaking to AS ahead of their loss to RB Leipzig, Oblak said;
"This is not the time for that, now it’s Leipzig. The balance of the season I do when the last game is over and hopefully we have three left. Then there will be time to talk. But first, Leipzig. I really want to pass."
Out of the host of options they have at hand, Rennes' Senegalese keeper Mendy appears to be a feasible and experienced option. Additionally, Petr Cech's links with Rennes also make it an appealing option, given that a deal could be struck with relative ease.
Also read: 5 Transfers which changed football