Europe (UEFA)
Indonesia
Nigeria

Chelsea considering Andre Onana, Edouard Mendy part-exchange deal?

sportsmole.co.uk, 20 March 2023, 16:39
Chelsea have reportedly earmarked Inter Milan's Andre Onana as a potential new number one for the 2023-24 season.

Graham Potter currently has Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy battling for the gloves, although the latter has been absent since January due to a fractured finger.

Mendy's surgery has allowed Kepa to try to reignite his career at Stamford Bridge, but the Spaniard has not been able to impress on a consistent basis in between the sticks.

While Kepa's future remains unclear, Chelsea are supposedly willing to let Mendy leave in the upcoming transfer market after the Senegal international rejected an offer of a new deal.

With 18-year-old Gabriel Slonina still far from the finished product and potentially being sent out on loan again, a new shot-stopper could be high on Chelsea's agenda during a busy summer window.

According to InterLive.it - via Fichajes - the Blues have identified Onana as an ideal acquisition amid doubts over his future with Inter Milan.

The former Cameroon international - who retired from playing for his country in the wake of a World Cup bust-up with Rigobert Song - left Ajax on a free transfer in the summer to join the Nerazzurri, and he quickly displaced Samir Handanovic as number one.

Onana has kept 14 clean sheets in 28 matches for Simone Inzaghi's side across all tournaments, starting 17 Serie A games and all eight of their Champions League affairs so far.

The Onana-marshalled Inter defence came through both legs of their last-16 tie with Porto without conceding a goal, prevailing 1-0 on aggregate to set up a quarter-final with Benfica.

The 26-year-old is under contract at San Siro until the end of the 2026-27 campaign, but Chelsea could supposedly attempt to strike a player-plus-cash deal with Inter, who would receive Mendy and a sum of money in exchange.

It is unclear whether Inter would be open to such an exchange, but the Nerazzurri can be expected to put up a fight in negotiations given Onana's importance to the squad.

Prior to joining the Nerazzurri, Onana represented Barcelona at youth level and spent seven trophy-laden years with Ajax, although he memorably served a nine-month doping ban between February and November 2021.

Meanwhile, Chelsea shot-stopper Kepa remains the most expensive goalkeeper in the world at a price of £69.9m, but his value has dropped significantly during his underwhelming period at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard is out of contract in the summer of 2025, while Mendy - who cost €24m (£21m) to poach from Rennes in 2020 - is also due to become a free agent in just over two years' time.

Diogo Costa, Jordan Pickford and David Raya have also been mentioned as possible new number ones for Chelsea, who sit 10th in the Premier League table and face Aston Villa on April 1 in their first game back since the international break.

Top News

29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Everton will look to avoid equalling an unwanted club-record Premier League winless run when they travel to Bournemouth on Saturday. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Jude Bellingham will be back in the Real Madrid XI for Sunday's La Liga clash against Athletic Bilbao. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The pick of the fixtures in game week 30 of the 2023-24 La Liga campaign will take place at Bernabeu on Sunday evening, with Real Madrid welcoming Athletic Bilbao for an intriguing affair. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Sociedad will be bidding to make it three straight victories in Spain's top flight when they resume their campaign away to Basque rivals Alaves on Sunday evening. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk One of several blockbuster battles taking place on the Easter weekend, Ligue 1 powerhouses Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain cross paths for the latest instalment of Le Classique on Sunday evening. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Feyenoord play host to FC Utrecht on Sunday afternoon knowing that they realistically need to win to remain in the Eredivisie title hunt. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ajax make the trip to PEC Zwolle on Sunday morning in desperate need of three points as they bid to remain in the hunt for a top-four spot in the Eredivisie standings. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both Girona and Real Betis will be bidding to return to winning ways in Spain's top flight when the two teams lock horns at Estadi Municipal de Montilivi on Sunday afternoon. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The latest Pep Guardiola-Mikel Arteta Etihad reunion will be a particularly momentous one on Easter Sunday, as Premier League champions Manchester City host current table-toppers Arsenal with priceless points on the line. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams battling to stay out of the relegation zone in Spain's top flight will lock horns on Sunday afternoon, with Celta Vigo welcoming Rayo Vallecano to the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United are allegedly preparing to rival Manchester City and Manchester United in the race to sign Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are allegedly likely to fail in any attempt to attract Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Gary O'Neil to Old Trafford. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Thiago Silva will leave the Premier League outfit this summer, according to Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Top-four contenders Nice return from the international break on Sunday, when Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes visit Allianz Riviera under new management. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Gil Vicente vs. Famalicao (Friday, 3.30pm) Gil Vicente and Famalicao get round 27 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga underway when they go head to head at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos on Friday. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bristol City vs. Leicester (Friday, 12.30pm) Having been knocked off their Championship perch, an ailing Leicester City endeavour to reignite their title bid against Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Friday lunchtime. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Vitoria de Guimaraes will be looking to move level with Braga in the Conference League qualification spot when they go head to head with Moreirense on Saturday. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides who could do well with all three points go head to head in round 27 of the Primeira Liga as Estoril Praia play host to Porto at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota on Saturday. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham boss Marco Silva has admitted he has spoken to Willian about his future with the club. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have reportedly discovered the asking price of Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes ahead of the summer transfer window. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Atlanta United can maintain their 100% record at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday when they host the Chicago Fire in the final MLS encounter of the weekend. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly suffered a blow in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain attacker Xavi Simons, who has starred on loan at RB Leipzig this season. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to keep their faint hopes of European qualification alive, Freiburg will travel to Borussia Park to face Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England trio Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Cole Palmer are among a number of players who could be potential beneficiaries if UEFA agree to increase national team squad sizes from 23 to 26 for Euro 2024. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa Women will welcome fellow Midlands side Leicester Women to the Bescot Stadium for Saturday's lunchtime kickoff. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly increasingly pessimistic about their chances of hiring top managerial candidate Xabi Alonso this summer. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Orlando City will go head-to-head with the New York Red Bulls in gamweek six of the MLS regular season at the Inter&Co Stadium in Florida on Sunday morning. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to keep their European hopes alive, Eintracht Frankfurt will welcome Union Berlin to Deutsche Bank Park on Saturday afternoon in the Bundesliga. 28 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Unbeaten in their five Major League Soccer matches so far, Los Angeles entertain the challenge of Seattle Sounders at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday.