Chelsea have officially announced the signing of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from Rennes in a move that is reportedly worth £22m.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed a productive stint in France across spells with Reims and Rennes while he has eight caps to his name for Senegal.
Having impressed in Ligue 1, his talent has been spotted by Chelsea who have now moved to add another goalkeeper to their ranks alongside Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero.
As per the club’s official site, they have confirmed the move for the shot-stopper and have also revealed that he has put pen to paper on a five-year contract.
Meanwhile, the Blues haven’t confirmed the transfer fee involved in the swoop, but Sky Sports note that it is believed to be £22m as they add further competition for places between the posts at Stamford Bridge this season and beyond.
Time will tell what his arrival means for either Kepa or Caballero, as it’s questionable as to whether or not Frank Lampard needs three top options in that position, with Kepa in particular coming under further criticism this season after making mistakes against Brighton and Liverpool in recent weeks.
It remains to be seen if Mendy is immediately thrown into the starting XI or is initially forced to work his way into contention, but the pressure will certainly increase on Kepa moving forward knowing that Lampard has another option available to him and as per the report above, if Chelsea have indeed spent £22m on Mendy, he’ll be expected to play regularly rather than merely sit on the bench.
Meanwhile, it continues Chelsea’s spending this summer as it follows the likes of Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech all making the move to west London as they look to compete for major honours moving forward.
It’s official! Edouard Mendy is a Blue! ✍️🔵#WelcomeMendy
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 24, 2020