There are rumors that the Senegalese goalkeeper’s future with the team is in doubt as a result of a stumbling block in contract discussions between Edouard Mendy and Chelsea club officials.
Mendy recovered from a finger injury he suffered in January and started full training again this week. Mendy’s status in the team has grown questionable after he fell out of favor with coach Graham Potter, and despite having a contract with Chelsea until 2025, he may be departing the club shortly.
According to The Times, Edouard Mendy, 31, has been in talks with Chelsea club officials about a new contract at Stamford Bridge. These conversations haven’t advanced very far, though. The tabloid further alleges that the club is giving other players’ contract renewals priority over Mendy’s and that an agreement for his contract extension is still far from being reached.
Todd Boehly, who acquired ownership of Chelsea this summer, has begun talks with Mendy because he wants to stop players from having contracts with less than two years left on them. Due to injuries to his finger and shoulder, the goalie has played in only five games while playing for coach Graham Potter.
Two years at Chelsea for Edouard Mendy @ChelseaFC || #UCL pic.twitter.com/mxebqqtZQb
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 24, 2022
Kepa Arrizabalaga has replaced Edouard Mendy as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper and has been getting regular starts since September as a result of Mendy’s absence. In 18 Premier League games this season, the Spaniard has kept eight clean sheets, impressing Graham Potter. Mendy, who was crowned the finest goalkeeper in the world a year ago, moved to Chelsea from Rennes in 2020 and has had an impressive start to his career.
Marcus Bettinelli, Chelsea’s third-choice goalkeeper, has started talking about his future because his contract is up at the end of this year. Also, the team improved its goalkeeping unit by bringing in American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, a highly-rated young goalie. Slonina joined Chelsea’s full-time training program in January and has since participated in three games for the club’s under-21 squad.
