As we wrote five days ago regarding the prospects of Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy joining Chelsea: “Don’t be too surprised if this transfer starts to escalate quickly.” Here we are, with the situation escalating very quickly, according to numerous sources around the world.
Petr Cech, a legendardy former shot-stopper who played for both Rennes and Chelsea, and now a technical and performance advisor at Stamford Bridge, is thought to be strongly pushing for the Mendy acquisition.
Mendy would arrive for an initial £18 million, with the total potentially rising to £25m as Chelsea look set to continue their massive summer shopping spree. The west London club has already acquired Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Malang Sarr, Thiago Silva and Kai Havertz, which would then make Edouard Mendy the seventh new player at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Cech, who made the switch from Rennes to Chelsea in 2004, “was tasked with helping to identify a new goalkeeper along with his old coach Christophe Lollichon, who still works for Chelsea,” according to the Telegraph.
All told, Chelsea may end up spending close to $250,000,000 in total on new players this summer transfer window.
Their Edouard Mendy report contains another Chelsea transfer news item, stating that Ethan Ampadu, who spent last season on loan at RB Leipzig, will join up Sheffield United for the upcoming season.
ESPN FC also have a story today on Mendy, 29, quoting the same transfer fee figures for the Senegal international. And their report also has an additional Chelsea transfer news nugget in it, with the Bristol, CT based outlet claiming that Fikayo Tomori is closing in a season long loan move to Everton.
As for Chelsea incumbent Kepa Arrizabalaga, he’s set to stay put, as the club struggles to find a buyer who would be interested enough in paying the high price it would take to get him.
Kepa moved to Chelsea for €80m, a world-record for a goalkeeper, in 2018, but found himself benched for the side’s two biggest games of the year (FA Cup Final and Championship Sunday).
Rennes have reportedly lined up PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to come in on loan, should the Edouard Mendy deal go through.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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