Chelsea have an interesting goalkeeping situation just now as Edouard Mendy has looked solid, while Tuchel has even managed to get something out of Kepa so they have a couple of solid choices between the sticks.
The problem is that neither of them feel like they have the confidence of the club for them to be the number 1 for years to come, so it won’t be a surprise if they add someone new this summer.
Last year saw them heavily linked with a £26m move for Ajax keeper Andre Onana, but that didn’t emerge and he stayed with the Dutch giants for one more year.
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His situation became even more complicated as he was given a 12 month ban for doping, but Goal have reported that he’s being backed by the player’s union and it’s accepted that it was an honest mistake, so there are hopes that it could be reduced.
If you look at him from a talent point of view then he is a great all-round keeper who will make great saves and he plays like a midfielder with the ball at his feet, while he’s only 25 so there’s still room for him to grow.
Clearly the ban is a problem, but it’s been reported by ESPN via Football-Oranje that talks over a new contract have failed, and it now looks like he will leave the club in the summer:
Het streven is om @AndreyOnana deze zomer (ondanks zijn schorsing) te verkopen. #Ajax https://t.co/vsN8Il8kuU
— Mike Verweij (@MikeVerweij) April 23, 2021
His current deal expires in 2022 so that immediately reduces Ajax’s leverage in negotiations, while the ban is also an issue so it’s likely that he will go for a very reasonable fee in the summer.
Chelsea still have multiple needs in the squad so signing Onana would free up funds to go to a new striker or midfielder, and it might be a gamble worth taking if that ban is reduced and he’s able to play a part on arrival.
Everything does point to his ban resulting from a genuine mistake so there aren’t any red flags over his personality, and any team who can have some patience and take the chance could get a genuine bargain here.