Why Chelsea should land Andre Onana as soon as possible
According to the Athletic (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea are still keeping tabs on Ajax’s £26million-rated goalkeeper Andre Onana.
The report also claims that the Blues have been in regular contact with Onana’s representatives and have identified him as a potential replacement for their out-of-form keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The Chelsea No.1 has had a poor season so far, with many of his mistakes resulting in the side’s loss. Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United on Saturday cast further doubt on the Spanish shot-stopper’s ability between the sticks, prompting the Blues to seek for a better replacement.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Onana has been in sensational form for Ajax since making his debut for the side back in 2016. The young Cameroonian has been Ajax’s main man between the sticks since then and has kept 74 clean sheets from a massive 178 appearances for them.
He was in exceptional form last year that saw Ajax emerge as Eredivisie champions after managing 16 clean sheets from 33 league appearances. Onana also grabbed the spotlight after his standout displays in goal saw Ajax reach the last four of the Champions League last year.
Onana a good replacement for Kepa at Chelsea
Onana seems to have continued his excellent form from last year, managing eight clean sheets from 24 league matches before coronavirus stopped play in the Netherlands. Having managed 10 or more clean sheets in the Eredivisie since the 2016-17 season, there is no questioning Onana’s abilities as a keeper.
Also, Onana is valued around a sum of £26million, which could prove to be an achievable sum of money for a side like Chelsea, who spent £71.6million on Kepa two years ago. A proven customer both in the Eredivisie and the European stage, Onana also represents a cheaper alternative for Kepa, on whom Chelsea had splashed hefty money.
Apart from Kepa, Chelsea just have veteran Willy Caballero as a back-up. However, he will turn 39 this September and is clearly not a long-term solution for their goalkeeping woes. Hence, Chelsea’s move for Onana would make complete sense and they should land him at Stamford Bridge as soon as possible.
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Verdict
Kepa has time and again proved to be a failure and his below-par performances this season could hurt the side badly in the days to come. Hence, it is better for them to find a suitable replacement and who better than Onana, who has established himself as one of the best keepers in Europe. Also, he is only 24 and could prove to be an excellent long-term investment for the Blues.