Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has identified Nick Pope as the ideal replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga but the Burnley ace could cost £50 million.
According to Daily Star, Chelsea are ready to offload Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer. The goalkeeper has no future at Stamford Bridge after failing to live up to his hefty price-tag. Manager Frank Lampard is now ready to move on and has reportedly set his sights on Nick Pope.
The Burnley man is being identified as an ideal replacement for Kepa as Chelsea look to reshuffle their goalkeeping unit. Chelsea have already stepped up their efforts to sign Pope this summer but the goalkeeper may cost a fortune.
Indeed, Pope still has three years remaining on his current contract at Turf Moor and being an English international, the Clarets are holding out for a higher fee. In fact, Sean Dyche’s men reportedly value their prized asset at somewhere around £50 million
Pope himself is keen on a big-money move to one of the Premier League giants this summer as he looks to take the next step in his career. However, his staggering asking price could cause problems not only for Chelsea but for other potential suitors as well, especially during the unprecedented coronavirus crisis that has inflicted massive financial damage to European football clubs.
Yet, the 28-year-old seems like a more reasonable and realistic target for Chelsea than their other reported targets including Marc Andre ter Stegen. Even Manuel Neuer has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer, which is quite shocking, at the very least.
Nevertheless, Pope isn’t a bad option for the Blues if we consider his performances for Burnley. The English international attained an impressive save percentage of 71%, which is marginally lower than ter Stegen (72%). Additionally, he has made the fifth-highest number of saves in the Premier League this past season, averaging almost three saves per game.
However, what makes Pope a risky target for Chelsea is that he is not as gifted with the ball at his feet as some other goalkeepers in Europe. It could turn out to be a massive disadvantage for Lampard’s men, who have embraced the idea of playing out from the back with short passes.
In that regard, it would perhaps be a better idea for the Blues to shift their attention towards someone like Andre Onana. A product of the Barcelona youth academy who has found his success at Ajax, the Cameroonian is more than capable of distributing possession from the back and should be an ideal signing for Chelsea.
