Chelsea FC will host lower division minnows Barnsley FC later tonight in the EFL Cup third round, but until we have the next match to discuss and analyze, we have some transfer talk to do. The new goalkeeper addition, Edouard Mendy of Rennes, has been confirmed by manager Frank Lampard.
“Competition is a regular thing. We have brought Mendy in for that competition. It’s in everyone’s hands to get into the squad,” Lampard told the media ahead of the League Cup clash.
“I think it is the hardest position, because of the individual nature of it. I have to be sympathetic to that point. Last year I changed a few times, it’s a different thought process. We are always striving for the best performance.”
This acquisition likely means that Kepa Arrizabalaga’s time has now run out at Stamford Bridge, but his future remains uncertain. As the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, and as a player not earning his pay, it will be difficult to find the right suitor for him if/when they look to ship him out.
Mendy, 28, arrives on a deal with a transfer fee reportedly worth $28 million. Lampard has already said that Willy Caballero will start tonight.
Chelsea vs Barnsley FC EFL Cup 3rd Round FYIs
Kick: 8:15 pm, Wednesday, September 23, 2020, Stamford Bridge
Team news for both sides: go here
Chelsea starting XI Prediction: go here
Odds: Chelsea win 1/6, Draw 13/2, Barnsley win 16/1
Elsewhere, what is to be come of misfit midfielder and overall flop Tiemoue Bakayoko?
Three years after arriving from AS Monaco, he’s failed to make an impression, and Stamford Bridge is still trying to find a suitable destination for him. AC Milan had been interested, but don’t seem to be willing to put up the money required to obtain him.
Now the southwest London club is in talks with PSG, as Chelsea are seeking to recoup as much as they can from their £40 million sunk cost. That’s according to The Sun, who claim Chelsea: “value the midfielder at £32m – and are seeking a £4.6m loan fee with the remaining £27.4m to be paid as the full transfer fee.”
Talks seem to be progressing along, and there is certainly hope that a deal can be struck before the transfer window shuts 13 days from now.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, 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,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.