Everything you need to know about Chelsea’s new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy
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Chelsea chiefs have splashed the cash once more this summer, completing the signing of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
The 28-year-old joins the Blues from French club Rennes, in a deal worth in the region of £22million.
He is now set to rival Kepa Arrizabalaga for the No.1 position at Stamford Bridge this season.
With Mendy’s signing, Frank Lampard is either expecting more from under-fire Kepa, and hoping that the Basque rises to the challenge, or confirming that he has totally lost faith in the world’s most expensive goalkeeper.
“I am so excited to be joining Chelsea, said Mendy. “It’s a dream for me to be a part of this exciting squad and to work with Frank Lampard and all of his coaching staff.
“I look forward to meeting my teammates and can’t wait to get started.”
Here’s a look at the new man…
(Image: Icon Sport via Getty Images)
1. A dual international
Although born in France, he has already played for both Guinea Bissau and Senegal.
Mendy made his first international debut for Guinea Bissau in friendly matches against Belenenses and Estoril in Portugal as a dying wish to his father on his sick bed.
However, he turned down an invitation to play for them in the Africa Cup of nations, opting instead, to play for Senegal, the country of his mother.
He was the first choice goalkeeper for Senegal in the 2019 AFCON in Egypt but only played two games as a fractured wrist ruled him out for the rest of the competition.
2. Madrid’s Mendy
Mendy and Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy are cousins.
The new Chelsea man is three years elder than the former Lyon man, who is now thriving as Zinedine Zidane’s first-choice at the Santiago Bernabeu
The pair grew up together and used to enjoy playing in the back garden as youngsters.
(Image: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce)
3. No professional contract until he was 24
Mendy only signed his first professional contract with Reims in 2016.
At 12 he played for Le Havre and his senior breakthrough came at Cherbourg in the Championnat national – the French third tier.
He left Cherbourg at 23 however, spending a year out of the game before joining Marseille’s B team. That short spell ended when he moved to be first-choice at Reims – then in Ligue 2 – and he made 80 league appearances before joining Rennes last summer for under £4million.
4. Height matters
Mendy stands at 6ft 5in, making him five inches taller than his Spanish rival, Kepa.
However, he is also part of a breed of new goalkeepers who are comfortable with the ball at their feet and mixes that with his desire to command his box and come for crosses.
One of the criticisms Kepa has faced in his time at Chelsea is his command over his penalty area box, so it’s no surprise that after careful consideration and advice from Petr Cech, Lampard has settled on the Senegalese goalkeeper.
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Frank Lampard’s team have made wavs by signing Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, Malang Sarr and Thiago Silva.
And they don’t seem keen on slowing down yet. one player who continues to be linked with the Blues is West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice.
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5. A massive fan of Fabien Barthez
Mendy was born in 1992 and by the early 2000s, spent his early years idolising former French international and Manchester United legend Fabien Barthez.
The incoming Chelsea man had pictures of Barthez on the wall in his room and dreamt of following in his footsteps.
With the move to Chelsea he fulfils a dream of playing in the Premier League.
Will Edouard Mendy usurp Kepa Arrizabalaga as Chelsea’s No.1? Have your say here.
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