Chelsea have submitted an opening bid for New England Revolution goalkeeper Djorde Petrovic as they look for a replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga, according to The Athletic.
Mauricio Pochettino is keen on bringing in another shot-stopper following the exit of former no.1 Arrizabalaga – who completed a season-long loan move to Real Madrid last week.
The 28-year-old was the first-choice goalkeeper last season under both Graham Potter and Frank Lampard – featuring in 39 games and keeping 12 clean sheets across all competitions.
Arrizabalaga struggled for consistency during his time at Stamford Bridge and was facing competition this season from new signing Robert Sanchez, who was brought in from Brighton.
Sanchez is now the club’s new no.1 and was in action against Liverpool in Chelsea’s opening Premier League game of the season last weekend. His understudy, Lucas Bergstrom, is not considered ready for first-term action just yet therefore the West Londoners are looking to sign another goalkeeper before the window closes on September 1.
Several goalkeepers have been linked with a move to Chelsea but Petrovic has emerged as a serious target. The Athletic claims that Chelsea have opened formal talks with the New England Revolution to sign the Serbian international.
Deal close
The report says Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid and while an agreement is not yet in place, sources have told The Athletic that a deal in the range of £11.8m could be reached between the two clubs.
Nantes and Nottingham Forest both saw bids rejected for Petrovic earlier in the summer and the New England Revolution were determined not to sell their star goalkeeper. However, the report says the MLS outfit have been forced to change their stance as Petrovic has made it clear he wants to join Chelsea this summer.
Petrovic has been one of the standout goalkeepers in the MLS since joining the New England Revolution in 2022. He has racked up 48 appearances and kept 15 clean sheets in all competitions.
He was adjudged second in MLS Goalkeeper of the Year last season and was included in a 2023 MLS All-Star despite featuring in only 21 games after joining midseason.
This season, the 6ft 4in star has made 28 appearances for the New England Revolution as they currently lie 2nd in the Eastern Conference table of the MLS.
Petrovic has made two appearances for Serbia and played for Serbian side FK Cukaricki prior to his move to the MLS.The highly-rated goalkeeper kept 33 clean sheets in 86 games across all competitions during his time in his home country.
Read more: Report: Chelsea planning surprise move to sign £50m star who scored 22-goals last season
