Chelsea sign ninth goalkeeper days after leaving ex-star 'speechless' with £20m transfer

Chelsea have added a ninth goalkeeper to their squad this summer after reportedly completing the siging of young goalkeeper Mike Penders from Genk.

The 18-year-old has penned an eight-year contract until June 2032 after the Belgian club accepted a £17m bid, which could rise to £20m with add-ons included.

Penders will link up with the Blues in 2025 after spending the season on loan with the Jupiler Pro outfit, according to Fabrizio Romano. The deal takes their spending to over £125m this summer following the capture of Aaron Anselmino earlier on Thursday.

Penders’ arrival has drawn comparisons to how Chelsea signed Thibaut Courtois, who was a relative unknown when the club paid £7m to sign him from Genk in June 2011.

However, there are concerns at how the west London club are stockpiling players in the between the sticks.

Enzo Maresca brought in £20m signing Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal in late July, joining Robert Sanchez, Djorde Petrovic, Marcus Bettinelli, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Gabriel Slonina, Lucas Bergstrom and Eddie Beach at the club.

Penders will join the burgeoning group of shot-stoppers in the dressing room, which has left former Chelsea player William Gallas baffled after witnessing Jorgensen’s arrival only a matter of weeks ago.

“I’m speechless,” Gallas told Genting Casino. “What can I say about Chelsea signing another goalkeeper, why are they doing it? What for? Why do they think they need another goalkeeper?”

The club are planning to make room for their new signings Jorgensen and Penders, with Arrizabalaga expected to depart before the transfer window closes.

Petrovic has attracted interest from Fiorentina and Strasbourg, while Slonina will head out on loan. Bergstrom and Beach will be available for the Under-21s, meaning Jorgensen, Sanchez and Bettinelli are likely to be the three goalkeepers kept in the squad.

The ex-France defender – who made 225 appearances for the Blues between 2001 and 2006 before joining Tottenham and later Arsenal – believes the club have signed too many young players and blamed Boehly for his mistakes in the transfer market.

“The players are too young and it’s a huge problem, but the problem isn’t down to the players, the problem is whoever is bringing them in,” he added.

“It’s the owner who is putting his hand into his pocket but others are giving him the information, they’ve spent too much on the wrong players and now they are looking at goalkeepers. It’s a huge mess at Chelsea, a huge mess.”