Chelsea: Plethora of options to revamp goalkeeper position

Chelsea needs a change at goalkeeper for the 2020/21 season and here are some suggestions that could help take the team to the top.

Chelsea  conceded the tenth most goals in the English Premier League during the 2019/20 season. One might just ask how the Blues were ever able to claim a tie for the third place point finish in the Premiership with that statistic; and it’s a very valid question. Their defense was not up-to-par and their goalkeeping was incredibly sub-par. Now, Chelsea needs to go in different directions in both departments. The defense will be dealt with, surely, but the Blues need to take a look at the goalkeepers on the market this summer.

Chelsea’s current No. 1 goalkeeper is not clear at the moment, and that’s a large part of the problem. Frank Lampard has chosen to rely upon 38-year-old Willy Caballero in his most important games of the season of late. Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has unfortunately carried the moniker of the most expensive keeper ever on his shoulders, has been on the bench for key matches. It is not a good situation for either Chelsea or Arrizabalaga; for that reason, he’s probably on his way out.

Of course, there are pros and cons of Chelsea’s situation with Arrizabalaga, but all signs point towards the Blues needing a new keeper regardless. Arrizabalaga is a competent keeper, but the stigma of being the most costly keeper in history could very possibly have been overburdening for the Spaniard amongst all the other changes at the club. Hopefully he will demonstrate the form that made him such a desirable acquisition for Maurizio Sarri at his potential new club, but it seems unlikely to happen at Stamford Bridge. In any event, the Blues needs to move on and secure a top keeper for themselves. Keepers who can help are out there, but it is yet to be seen if Chelsea can secure a deal before the start of next season.

Names floated out there so far have included Jan Oblak, the world-class keeper from Atletico. Simply put, that’s not happening; his buyout clause is just too rich for a Chelsea club that is spending big to revamp its attack and needs to spend big elsewhere, as well. It’s time to move on from this dream and realize another—Andre Onana from Ajax. Onana is a young, talented and certainly ambitious keeper from the Eredivisie. He’d be a great signing for the Blues for many reasons.

Suffice it to say, Onana adds many attributes that Chelsea needs to progress into the upper echelons of English—and also European—football. He’s athletic, he has great reflexes and he is good with the ball at his feet. Onana’s capable of passing short or long and unlike many other keepers, he actually completes those passes to his teammates. In addition, Onana has big-time game experience, helping taking Ajax to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. That’s pedigree and that’s what the Blues need in a goalkeeper. Onana would excel at Chelsea and upgrade the position substantially. Most importantly, Onana seems to want the move. His former teammate Hakim Ziyech likes the prospect of a reunion in west London, as well.

Another keeper linked to Chelsea is Dean Henderson, recently on loan from Manchester United to Sheffield United. Henderson would be a very good addition, but it’s unlikely that he will be sent off to direct competitor in Chelsea. The Red Devils going through some goalkeeping struggles themselves, hence why they’re unlikely to sell and why they’ve offered the talented prospect a raise.

23-year-old Ionut Radu is also an option for Chelsea. He’s not the most well-known or popular, but he’s an intriguing prospect. The young keeper was on loan from Inter to Parma last season. He’s not the tallest, but he’s likely a top keeper in Europe in the future. The Romanian has tremendous reflexes and has been chosen as Inter’s second-choice keeper for 2020/21. Should Inter seek the services of Emerson or even Marcos Alonso as a wing-back to fit into Antonio Conti’s 3-4-3 system, a swap deal might just work for Chelsea. If it does, they’ll get a future top-flight keeper for relatively cheap; the money can be used to fill the holes in the backline.

There are a number of other solid keepers who could fit into the Chelsea revolution next season. Since it is likely that Arrizabalaga will be sent out, let’s hope the Blues settle upon one—or maybe even two—good young keeper(s) to lead them to the titles and silverware they and their fans expect.