Chelsea £40m Kepa Replacement

Chelsea are preparing to make a £40million offer to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana this summer as they look to recruit a new No.1. Mauricio Pochettino is still in pole position to succeed Graham Potter on a permanent basis and the Blues are keen to bring in Onana. Kepa Arrizabalaga has enjoyed arguably his best season since his then club-record £72.5million transfer in the summer of 2018, but he had rarely threatened to live up to the standards set by his elite predecessors Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois. Edouard Mendy joined Chelsea in the summer of 2020 on the recommendation of Cech, then the club’s technical director, and although he impressed initially, playing a key role in a Champions League triumph under Thomas Tuchel, his form has deteriorated rapidly. Mendy hasn’t made a single appearance for his club since prior to the World Cup and is destined to leave in the summer having rejected several new contract offers. Onana, meanwhile, has resurrected his career at Inter following his return from a nine-month ban incurred having tested positive for a banned substance. The Champions League semi-finalists will demand £40m for the Cameroon international but the 27-year-old’s modest wage demands are likely to ensure a deal is relatively straightforward to conclude. Chelsea will look to end a run of six consecutive defeats this afternoon at Bournemouth who have all-but ensured their Premier League status with a fine sequence of results. Raheem Sterling has admitted he is currently suffering the lowest point in his career, but he is looking forward to the challenge and believes it will make him and the group stronger.