Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is expected to back Graham Potter with additional signings in the January transfer window, but there is one area of the squad that requires strengthening.
Chelsea must strengthen their goalkeeping options if they are to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City, as Edoaurd Mendy is currently out of form.
If Chelsea are to move up the Premier League table, they must continue to invest in Graham Potter’s squad during the January transfer window. The Blues began the World Cup in eighth place and will need to significantly improve if they are to finish within the top four.
If Chelsea are to climb the Premier League table, they must continue to invest in Graham Potter’s squad during the January transfer window. The Blues were eighth going into the World Cup break and will need to significantly improve if they are to finish in the top four.
Chelsea fired Thomas Tuchel in September and replaced him with former Brighton manager Graham Potter. Following Potter’s arrival, he made a goalkeeping change, bringing in Kepa Arrizabalaga to replace Edouard Mendy.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper has struggled to replicate the form that saw him help Tuchel’s Blues win the Champions League. Mendy’s chances have been hampered by injuries under Potter, but he has only started two Premier League matches for the Blues since the change in management, and that was only because Kepa was injured.
Mendy’s poor form has continued into the World Cup, as he was responsible for both goals scored by the Netherlands in Senegal’s first World Cup Group A match. The Chelsea goalkeeper has been linked with moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus ahead of the January transfer window, as the Blues continue to consider selling the 30-year-old, who has three years left on his current contract.
Kepa is still the most expensive goalkeeper transfer in history, and he has shown promise under Potter, but he can be a liability at times. Liverpool and Manchester City have demonstrated the importance of having a world-class goalkeeper when competing for national and European titles.
Chelsea on the lookout for a new first-choice goalkeeper?
Ederson and Alisson are two of the best goalkeepers in the world, with both competing for a starting spot for Brazil at the World Cup. A solid defense provides a solid foundation for any team to attack, as City and Liverpool have demonstrated, with a good defensive record leading to consistent challenges at the top of the Premier League and the latter stages of domestic and European cup competitions.
Potter may prefer Kepa to Mendy, but neither goalkeeper compares to Ederson and Alisson. Chelsea must find a solution to this by bringing in their own world-class goalkeeper to stabilize the defense and solve a major problem for Potter.