With Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy both battling to securely nail down the number one job in between the sticks, a new goalkeeper is one of Chelsea's top summer transfer targets. Under Thomas Tuchel, Mendy was the preferred choice, but his performances have declined recently, and Kepa has benefited from both his decline in form and the arrival of Graham Potter.
Kepa began Potter's first game in charge because Mendy's injury left no other options, and the Spaniard has since missed just two Premier League games. After suffering an injury himself in the 4-1 loss to Brighton, Mendy returned to the lineup for both of the Blues' 1-0 losses to Newcastle and Brighton before the World Cup.
Kepa's injury was serious enough to leave him out of Spain's squad for the tournament in Qatar but by Boxing Day, Chelsea's first game back against Bournemouth, he was available again. From the eight games played since the 2-0 win over the Cherries, Kepa has kept four league clean sheets, with three of those arriving in the last few weeks.
Liverpool were unable to significantly test Kepa in their clash at Anfield last month, but the shot-stopper was certainly required against Crystal Palace and Fulham where he pulled off a number of impressive saves. Nonetheless, a new goalkeeper appears to still be on the agenda with the Blues keeping tabs on Everton's Jordan Pickford and Brentford's David Raya and another name has now been added to that list.
According to 90min, Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa is attracting interest from west London with scouts subsequently being sent to Portugal to watch his performances. The 23-year-old was the starting goalkeeper for Portugal at the World Cup and has kept 13 clean sheets in 25 games this season, including three in the Champions League.
Chelsea do look set to face competition from Manchester United and Tottenham in the goalkeeping department with both clubs eyeing long-term successors to David de Gea and Hugo Lloris, respectively. Raya is of interest to Spurs, while United already sent representatives to watch Costa earlier in the season.
A new defender, central midfielder and striker are positions that need filling at Stamford Bridge alongside a new goalkeeper but the recent performances of Kepa could see Chelsea prioritise filling the other roles first.
Kepa is 28 and his current contract expires in 2025 which means Chelsea do not need to rush when it comes to deciding his future. Mendy on the other hand also sees his deal expire at the same point, but talks over an extension have occurred with the 30-year-old unhappy over his current weekly wage.
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