Chelsea to listen to offers for Mendy

Chelsea will listen to offers for goalkeeper Edouard Mendy during the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Frustrating season for Mendy

Last season, the Senegalese giant was undoubtedly the Blues’ first-choice player between the sticks, starting 34 of his side’s matches in the Premier League.

The 2022/23 campaign has been a frustrating one for him, however, with patchy form costing him dearly and only eight league starts coming his way to date.

Instead, Kepa Arrizabalaga has jumped ahead of Mendy in the goalkeeping pecking order and it has led to doubts surrounding his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

His current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2025, but with his current prospects at the club looking fairly bleak, it could be that a move away benefits all parties.

Now, a new update certainly suggests that that could be the case.

The Latest: Chelsea to listen to offers

According to Football Insider‘s O’Rourke, Chelsea are open to the idea of selling Mendy at the end of the season, with offers for him likely to be considered.

A ‘parting of ways’ is seen as the best option moving forward, even though there have been talks over a potential new contract, with the ‘keeper having ‘no intention’ of staying on as second-choice.

The Verdict: Right time to leave

Mendy’s drop-off has come as a surprise, considering how impressive he was to begin with at Chelsea, being named the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper for 2021, also helping the Blues win the Champions League and being called ‘fantastic’ by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Mistakes have crept into his game at Kepa feels like the stronger option now, however, so it makes sense to bring an end to his time in west London at the end of the season.

A footballer of his calibre isn’t going to be content with sitting on the substitutes’ bench week in, week out – he has won 29 caps for Senegal – when he is easily good enough to be a regular starter for someone else.

Considering Mendy still has two years remaining on his deal, Chelsea should be able to demand a hefty amount of money for his services, perhaps using it to bring in a cheap understudy to Kepa and spending the rest of it on a top-quality outfield signing.

The Senegalese stopper will always be appreciated because of his efforts in 2020/21, with his performances key to the Blues’ Champions League success, but ultimately, the move has arguably been a surprising failure in the end.