MENDY SIGNS ...AND KEPA STEPS UP TRAINING TO MEET THREAT
EDOUARD MENDY is available for Chelsea’s trip to West Bromwich tomorrow after completing his £22million move from Rennes — but Kepa Arrizabalaga has been doing extra training in a bid to prove his worth to Frank Lampard. Mendy is due to train with his new team-mates for the first time today, having avoided the need to quarantine on his arrival in the UK by having his medical in Germany rather than France. And the Senegal international is expected to be involved at the Hawthorns. Mendy, who did some individual work yesterday afternoon following earlier confirmation of his switch, has signed a five-year deal.
Chelsea’s move for Mendy was heavily influenced by Petr Cech, who also joined the Blues from Rennes in 2004 and is now the club’s technical and performance adviser. Mendy will compete with the under-pressure Kepa and Willy Caballero for the No 1 spot. He impressed to help Rennes finish third last season, his only campaign at the Ligue 1 club, keeping 13 clean sheets and conceding just 31 goals in 33 games. Chelsea wanted to bring in a keeper with greater presence which helped 6ft 5in Mendy get the nod over other options the Blues considered.
Kepa, dropped twice by Lampard last season, has been in the spotlight again this term after letting in a soft goal against Brighton and gifting Liverpool their second last Sunday when his pass was intercepted by Sadio Mane. But he is determined to emerge from his slump and has been staying behind for extra training every day in the hope his hard work will underline his desire to improve and spark an upturn in form. Chelsea signed Kepa from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 for £71.6m, a price tag that made him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper and heaped pressure on him.