Premier League transfers are still ongoing, and one club is making the most of this window. Chelsea has been busy signing new players and is now at the brink of bringing in a new number one, Edouard Mendy, to replace its former keeper who has been on the bench for the last five matches. The club initially negotiated for an £18.2million transfer fee for the Rennes goalkeeper, potentially raising the figure to £25m with add-ons. The club’s manager, Frank Lampard, has been keen on this transfer for a while now and is happy that it is coming to successful completion especially as the new Premier League matches are coming up. The rest of the management team has okayed this transfer, and now Mendy is on his way to the Bridge.
Why Chelsea Want Mendy
In 2018, Chelsea paid £72m for then 23-year-old Kepa Arrizabalaga, a top keeper and rising star. The Spaniard was in his best shape at the time, and so this seemed like a good investment. Unfortunately, Kepa failed to settle properly at Stamford Bridge, and pressure from the huge price tag did him no good. The last several games of last season were not his best, and now Lampard and the rest of the team want him out.
Mendy’s single-season performance at Rennes was quite impressive, and it’s certainly what caught Lampard’s eye. The 28-year-old Senegal international kept a 78% save and didn’t concede in the nine games he caught for his club last season. His statistics are actually impressive, and Chelsea fans are waiting to see how he can help improve the team’s chances for winning this season. Mendy’s transfer raised a lot of debates regarding the future matches as everyone is excited for his participation in the upcoming games. Some true fans shared they might use Essayontime.com.au to order a full report from professional data analytics to get a better understanding of Chelsea’s interest in signing this talented keeper. Using such writing services has become a popular way to get some fresh data and unbiased reports on top performing players and favourite team competitors.
For a player that only made the A-team recently, Mendy’s game statistics show him to be a student turned master of the game keen on writing a beautiful chapter in his new career.
What Happens to Kepa?
With Mendy’s transfer, Kepa seems to rest on a bench for the next several games. His hefty price tag will make it hard for the club to sell him, but that is okay since the managers have expressed no interest in letting him go yet. Though he is still young, sitting at the bench for the next foreseeable future will be bad for the Spaniard’s career. The club will also have to keep paying him on their payroll till the next football transfer news. If Chelsea lets him play a few games as the substitute keeper or for Team B, he could redeem himself and catch the attention of Ligue A club managers. It takes no rocket scientist to predict this may be a tall order.
What Awaits Mendy
There will be high expectations since Mendy is taking over a club and every fan badly needs to know what he can offer the new team as far as scoring goes. Chelsea has spent a neat sum on new signings ahead of next season – to the tune of £89million that was absolutely necessary for the club’s performance. As Lampart said: “The reality is, with probably the exception of Leicester, which was an incredible story, most clubs that win the league in the modern day have recruited well and at a high level money wise.” This signing is expected to boost team morale, especially since Kepa was losing face with his teammates after a series of concessions. Adding to other new signings at the club, he may not feel the enormous pressure to perform as his predecessor since the attention will be shared by his new mates.
Fight to the Top
As Mendy heads to London for his medical this weekend, it is worth noting his ride to the top hasn’t been without trials and tribulations. He has struggled to play top grade football since, at inception, he wasn’t deemed good enough a study. Hard work and his season at Rennes gave Kepa the chance to show how good he can be, and Chelsea fans will be hoping to see more of those fantastic saves when he finally joins the team. His exam-worthy rise to the top is a lesson to upcoming players of what hard work can achieve.
