Chelsea are reportedly set to sign former English international Robert Green on a free transfer in order to beef up their goalkeeping department.
Chelsea have been reportedly linked with a shock move for Robert Green. The 38-year-old former English international has been without a club since leaving Huddersfield without a single appearance for the Premier League club. But, The Telegraph report that the veteran is having a medical ahead of a transfer to the Blues.
Chelsea’s goalkeeping department has been seriously depleted by the departure of Eduardo, Jamal Blackman and Matej Delac. The Blues now have Thibaut Courtois and Willy Caballero as the designated first-team goalkeepers. With the Belgian also linked with a move away from the club, Chelsea are in an intermittent goalkeeping crisis.
Robert Green though, is likely to be joining as a third-choice and Chelsea are likely to target someone else, should Courtois leave for Real Madrid. Green is an English veteran as regards his experience in English football. He has been associated with the game in England throughout his footballing career.
Green emerged from the Norwich City academy setup. The now 38-year-old has had stints at West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers, Leeds and Huddersfield. But, it was his time at West Ham which is most highly recognised. The player was a regular for the Hammers for 5 seasons before moving to QPR.
His record in the Premier League though, is far from satisfactory. Despite being regarded as a good goalkeeper, Green has managed just 55 clean sheets in 267 appearances in the English top-flight, conceding 432 goals in the process.
The 38-year-old will not be expected to be put to action for Chelsea anytime soon. But, should an emergency arise, with Caballero and Courtois both rendered unavailable, Green has more than enough experience to be an able presence between the posts.
It will be interesting to see however, if Green still has the reflexes and ability to match upto the fast pace of the Premier League and the improved competition level among the clubs.
Nevertheless, Chelsea seem to have been able to replace Eduardo as the third-choice without much of a hassle. This has become a theme of sorts, with Manchester United signing Lee Grant from Stoke City in order to allow Joel Pereira to leave on loan to earn some first-team exposure.