Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, with technical and performance director Petr Cech the driving force behind the move.
The Blues are in the market for a new goalkeeper this summer, following Kepa Arrizabalaga's patchy form during the 2019/20 campaign, drawing up a shortlist of targets which included Burnley number one Nick Pope, Borussia Dortmund’s Roman Burki, Ajax's Andre Onana and Lille's Mike Maignan.
According to the Mirror, Chelsea have plumped for Mendy on the recommendation of Cech. The former Blues number one spent two seasons between the sticks for Rennes prior to sealing a move to Chelsea in 2004.
A source has told 90min that Cech has heavily scouted Mendy and the club are following his recommendation, prioritising his signature ahead of Onana or Pope.
A deal of around £30m has now been agreed between the two clubs.
The eventual fee will be a far cry from the £72.6m the club had splashed out to bring Kepa to Stamford Bridge in 2018. The out-of-form Spaniard could yet compete with the Mendy during the 2020/21 season, but Chelsea are still trying to move him on loan.
Rennes would be turning quite the profit on 28-year-old Mendy, who joined the club for just £3.5m in the summer of 2019.
The potential acquisition of Mendy would be yet another new arrival at Chelsea this summer, with the Blues more than making up for lost time following last summer's transfer ban, spending over £200m on a selection of new recruits.
If the early signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech were not exciting enough, the Blues have since splashed out on Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz - one of the most sought after players of the window - in addition to bringing in Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr on free transfers.
Source : 90min