HERE WE GO!: Chelsea set for €16m goalkeeper transfer, Fabrizio Romano confirms

Suraj Radia

• 21 Aug 2023 21:51 BST
• 2 min read

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic from MLS side New England Revolution for a fee of €16 million according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Mauricio Pochettino has been in search of a new goalkeeper after seeing Kepa Arrizabalaga join Real Madrid on loan earlier this month, with summer signing Robert Sanchez currently Chelsea’s undisputed number one.

Petrovic had been tracked by Manchester United before they signed Andre Onana this summer and the 23-year-old has established himself as one of the standout players in MLS since moving to the league from his native Serbia last year.

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Chelsea have scheduled a medical this week for Petrovic after striking an agreement over a fee, with personal terms not expected to be an issue.

Petrovic has two caps for Serbia’s national team and was named to the MLS All-Star team during his year in the league, having been named as a finalist for the newcomer and goalkeeper of the year awards.

New England had reportedly rejected bids for Petrovic from Nantes and Nottingham Forest earlier in the summer, having signed the goalkeeper as a replacement for Matt Turner, who joined Arsenal last summer before moving to Forest.

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Petrovic’s arrival would see Chelsea extend their position as the world’s biggest spenders this summer, with the €16m outlay likely to take their transfer bill to more than €400m.

The Blues had signed Sanchez to provide competition for Kepa but an injury to Thibaut Courtois saw the ex-Athletic Bilbao man join Real on loan, meaning Chelsea were forced into signing a replacement.

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Chelsea had already signed an American goalkeeper during the Todd Boehly era, bringing in Gabriel Slonina last year from Chicago Fire, although the 19-year-old has joined Belgian side Eupen on loan this season.

Petrovic will likely be a backup to Sanchez initially but the shotstopper could force his way into contention as Chelsea look to rebuild under Pochettino despite their disappointing start to the new season.