Chelsea's young keeper Djordje Petrovic looks into the possibility of staying back at loan club Strasbourg as his season-long loan nears its end. Towards the end of last summer’s transfer window, Petrovic was loaned to Chelsea affiliate club Strasbourg for the season as the Blues decided to go ahead with Robert Sanchez as their first-choice goalkeeper.
The Blues initially signed the Serbian player from MLS side New England Revolution in the summer of 2023 for £14M, but their decision to loan him out came after they decided to bring in Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal to their already bloated squad.
"“I’ve become a more complete goalkeeper than before I came to Strasbourg…”Petrovic said via RCSA_English on X.
"
While the player has only claimed to be open to continuing his time at Strasbourg if they qualify for the Champions League, recent discussions and calls for his return to Chelsea, following performances that highlight issues in the goalkeeper department, suggest that Petrovic could be considered for the first-choice spot.
After labeling Petrovic as ‘world class’ back in January, which also marked the start of Chelsea’s fallout, Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior further praised the Serbian player earlier this month, claiming that he’s improving with each passing day.
"“It’s very important in our game system. He is only 25 years old and will become a great player”"Liam via X.
Petrovic helped the team secure four clean sheets in all games from February to the start of March, with the club currently in seventh place, just outside the European cup qualification spots, but their goal doesn’t seem too far out of reach.
Current situation at Chelsea
After a great start to the season under Enzo Maresca, cracks have begun to show with injuries and mistakes, particularly with Sanchez, which makes Petrovic's statement all the more tricky.
However, there has been no indication from the club regarding what they plan to do with the goalkeeper department at this time, and it’s unlikely that the Blues will invest in bringing in someone new this summer. So if Petrovic is looking for a club playing in Europe that can test him at the highest level, then coming back to Chelsea might be the best path forward.