Chelsea have a decision to make regarding Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who is on loan at RC Strasbourg.
According to Kicker, Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are mulling over the prospect of submitting an official proposal at the end of the season.
Chelsea signed Petrovic in the summer of 2023. He came in with a reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in America, having turned out for Major League Soccer side New England Revolution.
He got plenty of playing time under Mauricio Pochettino last season, featuring 23 times in the Premier League, along with four appearances apiece in the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
Petrovic showed glimpses of his potential but never truly convinced the top brass that he was the man for the job long term.
He passed the eye test on occasion, but the numbers were against him.
Nevertheless, he had gobbled up the chance to become first choice after a long-term injury to Robert Sanchez.
He was expected to be handed another crack at nailing down a first-team place this term, but a managerial change scuppered his chances.
Enzo Maresca wanted a goalkeeper who had a decent passing range, but Petrovic didn’t fit that profile.
So he reinstated Sanchez as number one, sent Petrovic on loan to Strasbourg, and signed Filip Jorgensen to provide competition.
Petrovic’s loan spell has been good to him. He has improved his all-round game and developed into arguably the best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 while Chelsea are stuck with the error-prone duo.
Chelsea have previously ruled out signing a new keeper this summer. They want Petrovic to return and fight for his place before deciding which of their many goalkeepers to cut loose.
But there’s also a decent chance they could decide to cash in on him while his stock is high.
Maresca appears to be a fan of Sanchez, who wouldn’t take kindly to playing second fiddle next season.
It remains to be seen what the decision will be, but Leverkusen are waiting in the wings. They’d be ready to pounce if Chelsea deem Petrovic surplus to requirements.
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