It will be very interesting to see how Xabi Alonso handles this Chelsea squad next season. The initial reports suggest that the Spaniard is a fan of the talent already present at the club. But there is also a recognition that some proven, experienced players need to be brought in to take things to the next level.
Alonso is one of the best managers in the world when it comes to getting the best out of youngsters. We saw that at Bayer Leverkusen as he took a relegation-threatened team and turned them into the first invincible champions in Bundesliga history within the space of two years.
The level of talent available at Chelsea is higher. So, one would hope that Alonso will be well-placed to pull out some results with the Blues as well. And it looks like one of the current loanees could be set to feature prominently for the first-team next season.
According to a report from Sacha Tavolieri for Sky Sport, Mike Penders will return to Chelsea after his loan and fully integrate the Blues’ first-team next season. Internally, the decision has been made. The club now wants to give a concrete role to the goalkeeper.
Mike Penders set to be handed prominent role by the club
Penders has been very highly regarded for a long time. Before even signing for Chelsea, he was considered one of the brightest talents in Belgian football and was tipped to be the ‘next Thibaut Courtois’.
It remains to be seen if he comes close to meeting those expectations. Interestingly, Chelsea had scouted and signed Courtois from the same club early in his career. Can they repeat the trick? Time shall tell.
The report does state that the club first plans to offer Penders the status of the main competitor to the starting goalkeeper before potentially entrusting him with the first-choice position in the coming years. The player himself is believed to be enthusiastic about the idea of returning to Chelsea.
Will Chelsea sign another goalkeeper this summer?
This report suggests that Penders is going to be the cover option for Chelsea next season. So, what does that mean for the starting spot?
Filip Jorgensen is expected to leave. But will Robert Sanchez continue to be the number one for the Blues? Or will they replace him with someone more consistent?
Time shall tell. Chelsea have been linked with quite a few goalies in recent times. Mike Maignan, Robin Roefs, Jordan Pickford and some other names have been suggested as potential summer transfer targets for the club.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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