Chelsea sign breakout goalie Edouard Mendy from Rennes

Edouard Mendy is on the move to Chelsea.

Kepa Arrizabalaga arrived at Stamford Bridge with plenty of hype, but his performances under Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard have not only been disappointing, but they’ve put him among the worst-performing goalies in the league. The Blues needed someone to either push him or take the job away, and they found that in 6-6 Senegalese stud Edouard Mendy.

Chelsea confirmed the signing of the 28-year-old former Rennes goalie after weeks of negotiations, officially adding more competition for the struggling Kepa.

Edouard Mendy was one of the most underrated goalies in the world last year

Mendy, who almost quit playing professionally after fifth-division French side Cherbourg released him, was signed by Marseille’s B-team in 2015. After moving to Stade Reims and helping them achieve promotion, Rennes picked him up in 2019. Normally a mid-table side in Ligue 1, Rennes ended up in third place last year, and Mendy’s 77 percent save percentage rankings second in France had a lot to do with that Cinderella season. Mendy declared his international allegiance to Senegal, and he has made seven appearances for Les Lions over the last year.

Chelsea has gone for broke this offseason, improving the defense by signing left-back Ben Chilwell and center-back Thiago Silva while bolstering the attack with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, and Kai Havertz. Now that Mendy is in London, Chelsea should finally fix a leaky backline that doomed them against Premier League title contenders and relegation sides alike last year.

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Lampard had no issues with splashing the cash this offseason, but it took him a while to patch up their most glaring hole. While Kepa’s time at Stamford Bridge might draw to a close soon after this move, Mendy appears ready to hold down the fort for the next decade in West London.