The Chelsea first team squad is already expected to take up a very different look when the 2025/26 season gets underway.
The Blues have already secured a number of top young talents, who could be about to make an instant impact on Enzo Maresca’s squad.
There is a lot of excitement over the addition of Estevao Willian, who will be part of Chelsea’s plans for the upcoming campaign.
The Brazilian has continued to grab the headlines during his time at Palmeiras, and Chelsea beat PSG to sign Estevao in what has been seen as a crazy transfer battle.
Mike Penders backing himself to become Chelsea number one next season
As the Blues look towards a future with an extremely exciting winger in their ranks, a number of other positions will be added to as well.
One of those is the goalkeeper role, with the Blues already completing a deal to sign Mike Penders from Genk.
Chelsea believe Penders has ‘elite potential’, and it is easy for comparisons to come with Thibaut Courtois due to the giant stature of the 19-year-old.
Penders has become a starter at Genk despite his young age, and has put in a number of top performances between the sticks.
There is currently no clarity over who will be starting between the sticks at Stamford Bridge next season, However, it seems the young Belgian is ‘backing himself’ if given the opportunity.
According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, speaking exclusively to The Chelsea Chronicle, the youngster is pushing to become the number one next season, and the Blues are prepared to give him that opportunity.
Enzo Maresca wants a new goalkeeper
Chelsea manager Maresca has given his backing to both Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen whenever they have been the number one this season.
However, it will not go unnoticed that a string of individual errors have led to the Blues dropping points in key moments this season.
Because of this, Maresca wants a new goalkeeper for next season, and is prioritising a candidate who is strong with the ball at his feet.
Penders certainly fits this description, and will likely be given the pre-season campaign to prove his worth to the Italian before any decision is made over his immediate future.
