Chelsea are reportedly planning to integrate young goalkeeper Mike Penders into their first-team squad next season following the appointment of Xabi Alonso.
The 20-year-old Belgium international spent the campaign on loan at French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, making 52 appearances across all competitions and keeping 12 clean sheets under the watchful eye of the Blues’ parent company, BlueCo.
According to transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri, writing via Sports Mole, Alonso wants the towering 6ft 7in shot-stopper at Stamford Bridge for pre-season training rather than sending him out on another developmental loan spell.
The report claims that Penders is highly regarded within the club’s long-term recruitment blueprint and is currently viewed as someone who can provide immediate competition and act as deputy to whoever is established as Alonso’s first-choice keeper next term.
Penders originally signed a long-term contract with Chelsea from Belgian outfit KRC Genk, but has yet to feature in a competitive match for the Blues after being immediately loaned out to further his first-team experience on the continent.
His impressive performances for Strasbourg have earned him a place in Belgium’s senior squad for the upcoming World Cup, and he is scheduled to officially link up with his Chelsea teammates once his international commitments conclude this summer.
With current secondary keeper Filip Jorgensen heavily tipped to seek a loan move away from the club in search of regular minutes, a space in the goalkeeping hierarchy has opened up for Penders to stake his claim under the new management structure.