Chelsea have signed goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen for £20.7m earlier this summer as their eighth first-team goalkeeper, with teenager Mike Penders also joining them from Genk.
The 19-year-old Penders has impressed for the Belgian club’s youth teams and has served impressively as captain for the Belgium Under-19 team. The lad is set to join the Blues for around £17million on a deal running until 2032, but will be loaned back to Genk for the upcoming season. The following summer would then see him returning to Stamford Bridge.
Currently there are already seven goalkeepers in Chelsea’s first-team squad, with another three having already been loaned out to lower-league clubs.
Following the £20.7m signing of Denmark’s Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal, Penders is their second goalkeeper signing of the summer. The former made his first start for Chelsea in their 2-1 loss to Real Madrid, which concluded their pre-season tour of the United States on Wednesday.
Besides this, the Blues’20-year-old keeper Eddie Beach is all set to join League One side Crawley Town on loan for the season. On Thursday, the club also confirmed the signing of teenage center-back Aaron Anselmino on a £15.6m deal.
The 19-year-old inked a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge but will remain on loan at his Argentine club, Club Atletico, for the the upcoming campaign and possibly even for potentially longer.
The Blues will be looking forward to hosting Italian champions Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge in their final pre-season friendly tomorrow, before welcoming Manchester City to west London the following Sunday for their Premier League opener.