Chelsea, since the transfer ban, has put together one of the Premier League’s deepest squads. With the summer transfer window shut and the first international break upon us, it is time to look at the depth with half an eye on January and another half on next summer. How is the keepers corps looking for the Blues?
1: Edouard Mendy
The keeper position is inherently unique, but Mendy’s signing is perhaps the best scouted signing of Chelsea in recent memory. Here was a player who was scouted out by Chelsea’s hierarchy at several different levels. Those that know the role, namely Petr Cech and Christophe Lollichon, recommended him. He was not a flashy signing by any means, nor was he entirely necessary in the grand scheme of things regardless of how one feels about Kepa Arrizabalaga. But Chelsea went through with it and arguably made their best, and smartest, signing in recent memory.
Mendy’s only gone from strength to strength since arriving at Chelsea. In his debut Champions League season, he won the keeper of the tournament. He’s got a strong chance for winning the golden glove in the Premier League this season as well. He’s truly a testament that the flashy name isn’t always the best name to sign.
The truly special thing about Mendy is that he accomplished so much in his first season, and keepers tend to improve both with age and time in a league. Mendy will only get better and he’s already fantastic. Mendy could easily be the keeper for the next decade.
2: Kepa Arrizabalaga
Arrizabalaga’s Chelsea career has hardly been straightforward. Starting as a panicky, albeit necessary signing, Arrizabalaga always had much to live up to. At times, he did so but there were too many moments where he wilted. That led Chelsea to go for Mendy, firmly placing Arrizabalaga as the backup keeper.
There does seem to be light at the end of the tunnel, however. Thomas Tuchel seems to trust Arrizabalaga as the cup keeper and since Tuchel’s arrival (and perhaps even Mendy’s), Arrizabalaga has improved. If he continues as he has been as of late, he just might be the league’s best backup keeper.
Of course, there is always the price tag to consider as well as how long Arrizabalaga will be happy playing second fiddle. Keepers know that they are the least rotated position regardless of performance and at some point, Arrizabalaga might look for another club where he can be the main man outside of cups. He won’t have leverage on that side of things for some time and it’s unlikely other teams offer what Chelsea might ask to sign him. Still, it’s a very finely balanced situation that, thus far, Tuchel has handled brilliantly.
3: Marcus Bettinelli
Bettinelli is following in the footsteps of most Chelsea’s third choice keepers in recent seasons. He knows the equation. He’s at the club in the event of a worst case scenario. If he makes an appearance, that in of itself will be a surprise. But, again, he knows the situation. There are many more keepers in the game that understand they may rarely if ever play than ones that do actually play. It’s just another uniqueness of their position.
From the academy: Lucas Bergstrom
It is exceedingly difficult to be an academy goalkeeper for Chelsea. While other positions may be able to debate whether or not they’ll eventually get a chance for the first team, no such conversation exists for the keepers. Once upon a time, the Blues would name the academy keeper to the first team as third choice. That practice stopped as the practice of buying older keepers began.
But, even if Bergstrom was the third choice keeper, he’d merely enter into the same situation as Bettinelli. As things stand, he gets to stay with the academy full time as he takes the u-23 starting position this season following the loan of Karlo Ziger.
Bergstrom will be hoping to impress enough at the academy level this season to get a loan for next season. Realistically, the only way a keeper in the academy will make the first team at Chelsea is after a series of loans. Bergstrom is only at the beginning of his journey but keep an eye on him if you watch any academy games this season. One never knows when someone will break tradition and precedent.
On loan: Nathan Baxter
Bergstrom might look to Baxter’s experience as inspiration. Starting from the academy, Baxter has gone on a series of loans as he has risen through the pyramid. His loan at Hull City will be his seventh in six seasons, making over 100 career appearances thus far. Hull will be his most difficult yet but, based on his trajectory, a good loan there could possibly see him loaned into the Premier League next season.
Only 22, if there is going to be an academy keeper that breaks through to be a part of the Chelsea first team, it looks like it’ll be Baxter. Keepers don’t even begin to enter their prime until their late 20s so he has plenty of time to develop yet. There very well could be a situation where Arrizabalaga leaves in the next two or three years and Baxter, provided he continues on his current trajectory, is kept to fill the deputy spot. It’s a long shot, but it was a long shot when Baxter was loaned to the Isthmian League only to rise all the way to the Championship. What’s one more step?
What do you think of the depth for the keepers? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!