According to claims from Spanish outlet Sport, Chelsea are the ‘main favourite’ to sign highly-rated shot-stopper Andre Onana from Ajax in the summer, as speculations over Kepa Arrizabalaga’s future continue to flood the press.
Reports emerged earlier in the month suggesting that the Blues had identified the 23-year-old Ajax star as a potential replacement for under-fire Kepa, who has been dropped by Lampard for successive PL games against Leicester City and Man United.
Other names like Vicente Guaita, Nick Pope, Mike Maignan and Gianluigi Donnarumma have also been mentioned among the shortlist of potential candidates for the No.1 role at Chelsea next season.
However, if the report from Sport is to be believed, then Chelsea are now in pole position to sign Onana ahead of Barcelona, with Man United and PSG also rumoured to be in the mix.
Barcelona have held talks with the Cameroonian international for a potential return to Camp Nou in the summer but the Catalans are only prepared to offer him a back-up role to undisputed first-choice Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Ajax are willing to cash in on the 23-year-old shot-stopper in the summer and have set a fee of €40 million as the starting point in negotiations involving their current No.1 between the sticks.
The report also adds that Chelsea are keen to ‘get rid of’ Kepa and are willing to ‘push hard’ for Onana in the summer.
Onana has carved out a massive reputation for himself at Ajax over the past few years since joining the Dutch giants from Barcelona’s youth system back in 2015 and was instrumental in the club’s fairytale run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season.