Chelsea look set to sign Stoke City ace Asmir Begovic after Aston Villa star Shay Given passed his medical ahead of a move to the Britannia Stadium.
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The Daily Express earlier reported that the Blues were waiting for the green light from the Potters to sign the Bosnian. Now that their replacement has arrived and passed his medical, as per Sky Sports, it is likely a move isn’t far away.
BREAKING NEWS: Sky Sources – Shay Given passes Stoke medical #SSNHQ
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) July 9, 2015
Jose Mourinho is in need of a goalkeeper, with Petr Cech having joined Arsenal recently, meaning that Thibaut Courtois is his only senior stopper left. Although the Belgian is likely to be first choice in all competitions, a backup for him is still a necessity in case of injuries.
With four competitions to play in, it is likely that whichever goalkeeper arrives at Chelsea will still receive considerable playing time over the coming campaign. Indeed, Cech made 16 appearances last time round.
Begovic isn’t the only Stoke departure this summer, with Steven N’Zonzi having completed his move to Sevilla on Thursday afternoon. TalkSPORT have reported that the French midfielder has been confirmed as a Sevilla player having completed his £7 million move to the Europa League winners.
The 26-year-old has moved to La Liga on a four-year deal as he looks to compete for a place in France’s Euro 2016 squad.
The Potters will be hoping that all of this movement won’t affect the team too much. Last season they managed their record points total in the Premier League era with 54, while finishing ninth in the division.