Chelsea make £18m bid for Rennes keeper as search for Kepa replacement continues
[ad_1]
Chelsea have reportedly made an improved £18million bid for Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Frank Lampard is searching for a new keeper after dropping Kepa Arrizabalaga towards the end of last season, preferring to use his stand-in Willy Caballero.
And Senegal international Mendy has been identified as the ideal signing after he helped Rennes to a third-placed finish in Ligue 1 and the club’s first ever Champions League placing.
The 28-year-old would be brought in either to provide Arrizabalaga with competition or to be Chelsea’s No1 should they manage to offload the Spain international.
Earlier this week it was reported that Rennes had turned down a £15m bid for Mendy from Chelsea.
(Image: Icon Sport/Getty)
But now the Stamford Bridge side have returned with an £18m bid and are awaiting Rennes’ response, according to Goal.
The publication also reports that Chelsea could send Kepa out on loan, with Sevilla and Valencia having registered an interest.
Chelsea made Kepa the most expensive goalkeeper ever in 2018, signing him for £72m from Athletic Bilbao.
However, the 25-year-old has failed to live up to expectations in west London and was dropped by Lampard last season following a series of inconsistent perfomances.
Chelsea could also offer Kepa to AC Milan in part-exchange for their young keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, according to Football Insider .
One of the most highly rated young goalkeepers in world football, the 21-year-old has been touted as the heir to Gianluigi Buffon in Italy.
Donnarumma, 21, has made 203 appearances for the Rossoneri since making his senior breakthrough in 2015.
Should Frank Lampard give Kepa Arrizabalaga another chance? Have your say here
(Image: Getty Images)
Sign up for the brilliant new Mirror Football newsletter!
From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox.
Put your email at the top of this article or follow the instructions on this link.
With his contract set to expire next summer, however, his future hangs in the balance.
In a creative attempt to structure a deal, Chelsea have reportedly enquired about signing Donnarumma in a loan-to-buy arrangement, with Kepa heading the other way on loan.
The Blues would then acquire Donnarumma permanently next year – though what would then happen to Kepa remains unclear.
[ad_2]
Source link