Chelsea are planning to give youngster Mike Penders playing time at the Club World Cup this summer.
That’s [according to Het Laatste Nieuws](https://www.hln.be/voetbal/verrassing-van-formaat-mike-penders-racing-genk-gaat-met-chelsea-mee-naar-wk-voor-clubs~a1bd3ad9/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2F), who report that Chelsea have dropped a ‘big surprise’ with their plans to use the 19-year-old goalkeeper at the tournament.
Penders is currently on loan at Racing Genk, who would like to keep him for another year. Whether that happens remains to be seen.
Chelsea see the Club World Cup as a good opportunity to assess the qualities of the U23 international. He was signed last summer for €20m from Racing Genk. He signed an eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
He’s since become the undisputed number one at Genk and kept an impressive clean sheets in 20 matches. His future depends on what Chelsea want to do with him.
It seems their plan is to assess him at the Club World Cup, perhaps alongside Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, and then move from there.
There are already other suitors lining up for him. PSV Eindhoven have been linked in the Netherlands as they’re searching for a replacement for Walter Benitez. Strasbourg are also interested. They’re currently something of a sister club to Chelsea as they’re both owned by Blue Co.