It’s no secret that Chelsea have big decisions to make at several key positions this summer. They have to decide how much to invest at striker, how to proceed in central defense, and how to reshfuffle the deck in midfield with some young stars making their way to Stamford Bridge.
The biggest decision they have to make is at the goalkeeper position where there is no great option currently wearing a Chelsea kit week in and week out. According to Matt Law of The Telegraph, a football reporter who has been following Chelsea for a very long time now, the Blues have indeed made a decision on that front.
Law, in a report on The Telegraph, states that “Djordje Petrovic and highly-rated teenager Mike Penders will be given the chance to prove themselves at Chelsea this summer with the club preparing a full assessment of their goalkeepers”. He goes on to state that both of these young loanees will be at Chelsea before the start of the Club World Cup and will be given a chance to compete for the starting job.
The report also suggests that Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen will be along for the ride as well and a decision has to be made on their futures as well. The easy decision seems to be to jettison Sanchez regardless of the net-loss on his transfer and allow him to play elsewhere. If Chelsea is that concerned about the quality of their third or fourth choice keeper there are definitely better options than Sanchez who may be older and are willing to be more of a locker room presence than on the field.
Jorgensen is the wild card as he is still just 22 and is improving but has yet to prove he belongs at an elite level. Being third choice at this point in his career may see him push for a move elsewhere, whether on loan or permanently.
The other two names in Petrovic and Penders are attracting lots of attention for their play at Strasbourg and Genk. Petrovic has been the star man for the Ligue 1 club and has helped them push for a Champions League place this season. Penders has been more of a rotational player but recently started a playoff match for the Belgian club, suggesting he is moving up the club’s depth chart.
Petrovic is the early favorite to become Chelsea’s number one but Penders is seen by many as the next Thibaut Courtois. He is just 19 years old however and another loan may be the best option so he can play every week rather than sitting on the bench at Stamford Bridge.
If Penders can prove he is worthy of a starting place then Maresca could have the best kind of selection headache where he has two legitimate number one keepers vying for the role. With the number of matches Chelsea will be playing next year across all competitions, hopefully including the Champions League as well, then there is plenty of game time to keep two young keepers fit and happy.
What once was a problem position for the Blues could suddenly become a position of strength and the Blues could once again become contenders for silverware both domestic and abroad.