The latest on Chelsea's goalkeeping situation with Filip Jorgensen's future at Stamford Bridge in doubt plus an update on Mike Penders
12:24, 27 May 2026Updated 12:31, 27 May 2026
Xabi Alonso
View Image
Xabi Alonso begins his role as Chelsea manager in July(Image: James Gill - Danehouse)
Chelsea are planning on integrating young goalkeeper Mike Penders into the first-team squad under Xabi Alonso next season, football.london understands.
The 20-year-old goalkeeper made quite the impression while on loan at Strasbourg, also owned by BlueCo, and is now set to be given a chance in the first team at Stamford Bridge. Robert Sanchez is the club's No.1 shot-stopper at the time of writing, with Filip Jorgensen his understudy.
However, sources say Jorgensen held a face-to-face meeting with Chelsea recently to discuss his future. The Danish goalkeeper, who signed for just north of £20million from Villarreal in the summer of 2024, has informed the club he wishes to leave in the coming months as he looks for first-team football elsewhere.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
The 24-year-old told Chelsea's head of global goalkeeping Ben Roberts, who will have a role to play under Alonso as well, that he wants regular minutes and the best way for him to get that is away from west London. Jorgensen featured just 12 times for the Blues in the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign and has been called up by Denmark for the upcoming World Cup.
Article continues below
Alonso is set to choose between Sanchez and Penders during his debut season with the club. The Spanish manager is expected to have plenty of power when it comes to the club's transfer activity this summer, much more than his recent predecessors had.
Elsewhere, Chelsea will target a centre-back, midfielder and a left-sided winger this summer. There are other areas of the squad that could be looked at as well in order to give Alonso the right tools to compete in his debut season at the Bridge.