Chelsea transfer plans descend into farce as Enzo Maresca targets eighth goalkeeper

If nothing else reflects Chelsea’s scattergun approach to the transfer market since Todd Boehly’s takeover in May 2022, their chase to sign Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen might be the best example yet.

The Blues are pressing ahead with their plans to sign 22-year-old Jorgensen after agreeing personal terms, according to Fabrizio Romano. However, the £21m fee demanded by his club is proving to be a stumbling block.

Following their 2-2 pre-season friendly draw with Wrexham on Wednesday, new boss Enzo Maresca refused to be drawn on his interest in the Denmark Under-21 international.

“We will see whether we need a new goalkeeper. I can’t comment on [Jorgensen] or any individual name,” Maresca said after the game. “We have four goalkeepers… Petrovic has an injury. As long as the transfer window is open, anything can happen for us.”

Despite Maresca’s assertion that Chelsea have four shot-stoppers, there are actually seven players on their books in between the sticks: Petrovic, Robert Sanchez, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Gabriel Slonina, Marcus Bettinelli, Lucas Bergstrom and Eddie Beach.

If Chelsea sign Jorgensen without offloading any of the aforementioned players, the Dane’s arrival would take the club to eight goalkeepers – a remarkable tally that underlines the utter lack of squad planning under their sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart.

Chelsea have been in discussions with Al-Ittihad to sell Arrizabalaga, who only has 11 months left to run on his £120,000-a-week contract. The Blues are determined to retrieve a fee for the Spaniard after costing a world-record £71m fee in 2018 and have rejected one bid from the Saudi Arabian outfit.

But the 29-year-old is holding out for a return to Real Madrid where he spent last season on loan, with the La Liga champions waiting for Andriy Lunin to decide his future before making a move for Arrizabalaga.

Slonina is yet to make his competitive debut for the club despite signing from Chicago Fire for £10m in August 2022. The American youngster, 20, is expected to go out on loan again to gain more experience, having spent the 2023-24 campaign with KAS Eupen.

Likewise, Bergstrom and Beach are still waiting for their official debuts, but the young stoppers have both been named in matchday squads over the past 12 months. It remains to be seen whether they will be loaned out or remain with the senior team, while Bettinelli only has one FA Cup appearance to speak of in his three-year spell with the west London club.

Many would expect Jorgensen, Sanchez and Petrovic to be the three goalkeepers named in Maresca’s 25-man Premier League squad when the deadline passes on August 30. But Bettinelli’s homegrown status means he is likely to be included, so one of Sanchez or Petrovic could yet leave.

The potential exit of Petrovic has left many Chelsea fans feeling disillusioned, especially after the Serbian stepped in without much warning to replace the injured Sanchez midway through last season.

Chelsea only lost won of their last 15 games with Petrovic in goal, compared to seven losses in the first 16 games with Sanchez as their No. 1. But he could be sacrificed to make way for Jorgensen, who is viewed as an ideal fit for Maresca’s playing style.

Chelsea paid £14m to sign Petrovic from New England Revolution in 2023, but despite his form, there doesn’t appear to be many takers for the Serbia international, with Genoa baulking at their £15m valuation when offered the chance to sign him.

Given their deluge of options to choose from and the struggle to get Jorgensen’s move over the line, Chelsea may be better off investing their money elsewhere.