Chelsea have reportedly turned down a £10 million bid from Bournemouth for second-choice keeper Asmir Begovic.
According to Matt Law of the Telegraph, Chelsea have rejected an opening £10 million bid for goalkeeper Asmir Begovic made by fellow English side Bournemouth. However, the Blues have left the door open for the player to move, with negotiations set to continue.
An offer of £10 million proved to be a bit too low from the perspective of the London side, and they will be expecting an increased figure with the next few days. The Cherries are intent on signing the player and are likely to revert with a better offer.
In the summer of 2015, Chelsea acquired the services of Begovic for £8 million. The Bosnian was then plying his trade with Stoke City, and decent showings for the Potters earned him a move to Stamford Bridge.
He joined as the club’s number two, but has still not managed to usurp Thibaut Courtois to become the first-choice for Chelsea. Courtois appeared to be unhappy in the summer and his form was at an all time low, but he has since picked himself up to become one of the best keepers of the 2016/17 campaign.
Begovic is a well-respected figure at Stamford Bridge and manager Antonio Conte will be looking to keep the custodian at the club at least until the end of the season. However, the Italian is not expected to stand in the way of the 29-year-old, should he decide to part ways with the Blues.
At Bournemouth, the Bosnia international will start week in-week out and could be tempted to make the switch to the south coast. He has only played in 4 matches this season for the Blues, and with no European or EFL Cup football this season, the FA Cup is his only hope to clock minutes on the field of play.
In the absence of Begovic, summer signing Eduardo will then become the club’s number two, and would come in should Courtois suffer an injury or receive a suspension. The Portuguese goalkeeper joined from Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb this summer for an undisclosed fee.
Chelsea rebuffed an enquiry made for Begovic by Sunderland this summer, but are now likely to cash in on the player, given Bournemouth’s growing interest. The Blues are certain to make a profit on the sale of the goalkeeper, but it remains to be seen how much the Cherries are willing to pay to sign the Bosnian.
