Asmir Begović
It is no secret that Chelsea have long held an interest in Bosnia and Stoke stopper, Asmir Begović, in fact a number of bids were firmly rejected during Carlo Ancelotti’s time at the bridge. Standing at an imposing 6’5” Begović has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most reliable goalkeepers in Stoke City’s rise from a newly promoted team to 9th place in the Premier League, playing over 100 games in the top flight. Once more he also holds international experience, acquiring over 40 caps for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Equally attractive is the fact that Begović is considered home grown under Premier League rules after first moving to England at the age of just 16. Begović seemingly meets nearly all criteria and with just a year left on his contract and Jack Butland waiting in the wings, a move could be in the offing. Nonetheless even the charm of José Mourinho may prove ineffective in convincing a player approaching his peak years to play second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois.
Robert Green
Like Begović, Green would represent another homegrown player to aid Chelsea in fulfilling their homegrown quota. Green also boasts a wealth of Premier League experience with Norwich, West Ham and most recently QPR and to a degree, international experience with England. At 35 years of age Green may settle with a bench role with Chelsea who offer the chance to compete in the Champions League, add trophies to his honours and provide a final payday. Valued at around £2 million, Green would also be far more cost efficient than some of the other options mentioned, allowing Chelsea to pursue potential marque signings such as Paul Pogba. Conveniently Green would probably not have to change his residence if he decides to make the small move from Loftus Road to Stamford Bridge.
Marcus Bettinelli
At just 22 years old, Bettinelli is far from the finished article having only just emerged as Fulham’s no.1 in the season just gone which saw the Cottagers finish seventeenth in the Championship. Perhaps an unknown inclusion on the list, Mourinho knows the player surprisingly well. Bettinelli’s father is Fulham’s academy goalkeeping coach and looks after Mourinho’s own son, José Mario. Indeed, Mourinho was in attendance to watch the England U21 international in Fulham’s 1-1 draw with Rotherham. However Fulham remain confident of retaining the services of their young keeper, despite the fact the player only has a year remaining on his contract. It is understood that Bettinelli is concerned that a move to Chelsea could halt his progress, with Thibaut Courtois the undisputed first choice at the Bridge for the foreseeable future.
Guillermo Ochoa
Remember him? One of the stars at the World Cup in Brazil with Mexico, Guillermo Ochoa was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League but opted for the sunny south coast of Spain in a transfer to Málaga. Much to his surprise, Ochoa has failed to displace veteran keeper Carlos Kameni and has been limited to just four appearances in the Copa del Rey. As a result Ochoa has expressed his desire to leave the Costa del Sol outfit and would bring international experience as an understudy to Courtois. Although, no media outlets have reported any contact between Chelsea and the Mexican international, with the latter expected to move to a club where he can play regularly as first choice. Contrastingly Liverpool, Beşiktaş, Greek champions Olympiacos and most recently Valencia have all been murmured to inquire for the player.
Roman Weidenfeller
Dortmund are in transition with the departure of their beloved Klopp, and another loyal servant in the shape of Roman Weidenfeller may also be leaving the Signal Iduna Park. Approaching the age of 35 in August, Weidenfeller has accumulated over 400 appearances for the Black and Yellows but after an atrocious season from both club and goalkeeper it appears as though his days at Dortmund are numbered. Last season saw a series of howlers from Weidenfeller that subsequently handed his place to former deputy, Mitchell Langerak. Further threatening his position was the signing of Swiss international goalkeeper Roman Bürki from relegated Freiburg in the close season. But Mourinho may struggle to find a keeper of Weidenfeller’s experience who has thirteen consecutive seasons with Dortmund to his name, two Bundesliga titles, the 2012 DFB-Pokal as well as an appearance in the Champions League Final.
