Chelsea have been linked with a variety of players over the last few days. But some of them have drawn the interest of other clubs as well. Unfortunately, the Blues might have a tough time convincing such names, as they do not have Champions League football to offer and have also failed to meet expectations as a club over the past four seasons.
One of the areas where Chelsea could do with improvements is the goalkeeper. Filip Jorgensen is expected to leave this summer and the club might look to bring in a replacement.
One of the players they had been linked with recently is Reims’ Ewen Jaouen. It was reported that he had even visited the club facilities. So, if accurate, the interest was genuine. But the goalkeeper is set to join one of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals instead.
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle United are set to sign Jaouen from Reims for a £24 million transfer fee. It is a deal done and here we go. The contract is until June 2030.
Ewen Jaouen set to join Newcastle United over Chelsea
So, Chelsea have missed out on Jaouen. He set to join Newcastle United instead. And it remains to be seen how the Blues handle their goalkeeper search.
To be honest, it did not feel like the right move for Chelsea anyway. They already have Mike Penders in their ranks. He was one of the best goalkeepers in Ligue 1 last season, playing as a starter for Strasbourg.
On the other hand, we have never seen Jaouen perform at the top level. He was playing Ligue 2 football for Reims last season.
Also, when you look at his numbers, nothing really pops out. Of course, he has potential and could develop into a good goalkeeper one day. But that is not the need of the hour for Chelsea.
Robert Sanchez or Mike Penders, who will start?
Robert Sanchez has been the starter for Chelsea for the last three years. Could there be a change between the posts next season?
Sanchez is not the best when it comes to playing out from the back. On the other hand, Penders is someone who thrives in that department.
Xabi Alonso does like his goalkeepers to play out from the back. So that might end up giving Penders an advantage in that contest.
But the primary task of a goalkeeper is to stop goals. On his day, Sanchez is world-class in that category. Is Penders the same?
The smartest way to handle Penders might be to make him the cup goalkeeper from next season. And if he does well, that might lead to him becoming the starter over time.
