Chelsea are reportedly closing in on signing former Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero in a bid to fill the void created by Asmir Begovic’s departure.
According to a report by ESPN, Chelsea are targeting Willy Caballero to replace Asmir Begovic after the latter departed Stamford Bridge to join Bournemouth in search of regular first-team football. Chelsea have considered several options as a replacement and that included Caballero’s former teammate Joe Hart.
Caballero will have to play second fiddle to last season’s Golden Gloves winner Thibaut Courtois if the deal does go through. The Blues are believed to be in contact with Caballero after he rejected a one-year deal to stay at City, the 35-year-old is also receiving offers from other clubs but it does seem like Chelsea are leading the race.
Caballero was rather impressive when he first came into Pep Guardiola’s starting line-up last season after disappointing performances by Claudio Bravo. The Argentine keeper then went on to make 24 starts in all competitions last season and kept eight clean sheets in total.
However, age is an important factor to consider for Caballero and City recently completed the signing of Brazilian stopper Ederson from Benfica, which could’ve meant a push further down the pecking order for Caballero.
Although Begovic was seen as a dependable pair of hands by Chelsea last season, he did become increasingly frustrated by the lack of opportunities when it comes to playing first-team football. Caballero will have to endure the same and play as an understudy for Thibaut Courtois.
He had also been linked with a return to his homeland with Boca Juniors, but with Chelsea’s interest in the goalkeeper, that might seem unlikely now.
The Blues have been trying to find a suitable No.2 ever since Asmir Begovic bid adieu to Stamford Bridge and moved to Bournemouth for £10 million. Caballero does have a lot of experience and manager Antonio Conte is likely to welcome that in the Argentine goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are expected to splash some big numbers in the coming days since they are targeting several new recruits. Romelu Lukaku is expected to re-join the club in an £80 million deal, while Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko has been a long-time target for the Blues.
