It’s no secret that Chelsea are on the lookout for a new goalkeeper in the upcoming summer transfer window, but settling on the right target is not as easy as it sounds.
The Blues thought that they had secured a long-term replacement for Petr Cech in 2018, when they broke the world transfer record for a goalkeeper by splashing £72m on Athletic Bilbao shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Unfortunately, his spell in west London has since turned into a bit of a nightmare.
The Spanish star was dropped by Frank Lampard after a poor run of form between the sticks, and the Chelsea coach looks to have lost complete faith in the youngster’s capabilities. And Lampard is seemingly prepared to cut Arrizabalaga loose, having turned his attentions to Ajax star Andre Onana.
According to the Telegraph, Ajax are willing to part ways with Onana in the summer – but Chelsea will have to fork out £35m for the 24-year-old’s services – a fee which seems more than reasonable considering the sum they splurged on Arrizabalaga just over 18 months ago.
Onana starred during Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-final last season, and his impressive performances have convinced the Blues that he could become the new number one at Stamford Bridge.
The former Barcelona shot-stopper has two years remaining on his current contract, so Ajax find themselves in a strong position to negotiate for the time being, and they will be fielding calls from some of football’s elite clubs.
The goalkeeper’s preference is to join the Premier League or manufacture a move back to La Liga – including a possible return to Barça – but if no adequate bids arrive from abroad, he is happy to stay at Ajax for the coming seasons.
Onana has been a first-team regular for the Dutch champions for the last four seasons, and he has continued to make a name for himself as one of European football’s most exciting goalkeepers.