Chelsea will reportedly target Fulham’s Marcus Bettinelli as a backup for Thibaut Courtois as Asmir Begovic is set to join Bournemouth.
According to a report by The Sun, Chelsea are looking for a replacement for Asmir Begovic since they need a No 2 to provide competition to Thibaut Courtois. As of now, they are rumoured to have made a move to sign Marcus Bettinelli from Fulham.
The 25-year-old Bettinelli initially struggled for first-team football for a good majority of the campaign before impressing towards the end of the season. He started the final six matches of the season and was pivotal in goal as Fulham reached the play-offs.
Bettinelli signed with Fulham back in 2012, when the club were still in the Premier League. However, due to increased competition from David Button, Bettinelli’s opportunities have become limited at the club and he is likely to seek a change.
The keeper allowed one goal in each of his eight league appearances this season, and during his three FA Cup appearances, he conceded one goal in each of his first two games before shipping three to Tottenham.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Chelsea have made a move to sign Bettinelli. The Blues came close to signing the English goalkeeper in 2015, however, he turned down a move as he was worried about his first-team prospects.
If the deal does go through this time, he will have to forego his desire of first-team football yet again. Comparatively though, he will have better chances and pay at Chelsea since David Button has established his dominion over the Fulham goal.
Chelsea have also been interested in signing Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain for the same purpose. With the kind of stunning campaign the Golden Glove winner Thibaut Courtois has had, no keeper can come close to replacing him as far as Chelsea are concerned.
With both Areola and Bettinelli poised to join the Blues, it remains to be seen which keeper Conte will ultimately sign. Both keepers can bring pretty much fit in for the same job for the club and that is to be satisfied playing second fiddle to Courtois.