Chelsea have reportedly set their sight on signing Paris Saint-Germain’s Alphonse Areola in a bid to replace outgoing goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
According to a report by The Sun, Bournemouth have completed deal to sign Asmir Begovic and newly-crowned Premier League champions Chelsea now want PSG star Alphonse Areola to replace him as the second-choice at Stamford Bridge.
Bournemouth have been trying to sign Begovic for quite some time now. They were desperate to ink a deal with the Blues back in January, but Chelsea refused the business since they were unable to find a suitable replacement, and hence Begovic had to stay back.
However, now, Areola has come under Chelsea’s radar and the Blues will be dealing with PSG to sign a deal soon for the stopper.
Antonio Conte will line Areola up to play second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois after the Golden Gloves winner managed to cement himself as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper with a glorious campaign.
The France international joined Paris Saint-Germain back in 2006 and is contracted to the club until June 2019. Areola has conceded 22 goals and recorded 14 clean sheets in 31 games for Paris Saint-Germain across competitions. In fact, he is even considered as one of the best up-and-coming goalkeepers in France.
However, the former France youth player started 15 games for PSG last season since he eventually had to make room for German ace Kevin Trapp, who slowly pushed Areola down the pecking order. Now, the 24-year-old is open to make a move to England as he is in search of greener pastures.
He could end up at Stamford Bridge now, and while it seems like he will remain the second-choice keeper for Conte, he can even provide tough competition to Courtois if he manages to impress the Italian.
In the longer run though, Areola can solidify his presence at Stamford Bridge and learn a lot from Courtois. While the Belgian might sign a new contract with Chelsea this season, there’s no guarantee that he will remain with Chelsea for a long period, and if he leaves then Areola will be likely to get promoted to playing as the first-choice keeper.