Chelsea’s goalkeeping options revealed as summer Andre Onana transfer pursuit ends

Chelsea’s pursuit of Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is over, according to reports.

Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard has revealed that Mauricio Pochettino‘s men have ended their interest in the shot-stopper, leaving Manchester United as the main competitors for his signature.

With it clear that the incoming Chelsea boss was keen on adding a new goalkeeping option this summer, there could still be some movement as Edouard Mendy has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Onana appears to be out of the picture for now, so this leaves the Blues chasing for alternatives to provide competition to Kepa Arrizabalaga next season.

The likes of Mike Maignan of AC Milan and Brentford’s David Raya, who appears to be Tottenham Hotspur bound, have been linked in the past, but for now these rumours appear to have gone quiet as Chelsea are closing in on the signing of striker Nicolas Jackson.

One option for Pochettino is to remain with Kepa as his number one going into next season after the Spaniard impressively earned his starting place back under Graham Potter.

Kepa looked confident and proved his worth despite Chelsea finishing 12th in the Premier League last campaign, with his distribution a particular pleasing point.

The Blues surprisingly had one of the better defensive records in the league despite the poor season, with Kepa keeping nine clean sheets in the league.

Gabriel Slonina arrived in January, and is likely to depart on a loan move in the summer to gain further first team experience after breaking through at Chicago Fire prior to his Chelsea move.

If Mendy is to depart, Marcus Bettinelli would be left as the second choice for Kepa after penning a new deal earlier in the year, and therefore a new shot-stopper will likely arrive.

It was previously reported that, along with Onana, Raya and Gregor Kobel were contacted about potential summer moves.

However, it appears that Raya will be moving to Tottenham Hotspur this summer and is out of the picture for Chelsea, while Kobel may cost too much to be able to pursue.

Valencia’s 22-year-old Giorgi Mamardashvili has also been a name linked with the Blues in the past and could make him an impressive long-term option. The goalkeeper has made a name for himself in Spain as a standout star in Valencia’s team despite a poor season for the La Liga side.

As a sweeper keeper, Mamardashvili made 47 defensive actions outside of his area and could help Chelsea’s defence if Pochettino opts to play a high line when he arrives.

The 22-year-old would be a brilliant alternative to Onana, who would likely have demanded to start every week. Mamardashvili could provide competition to Kepa for next season and allow the Blues to have two goalkeepers battling it out for a starting place under Pochettino.

While the goalkeeping market is a tricky one to navigate this summer, a move for the Valencia shot-stopper could prove to be a clever one.

Diogo Costa could prove to be a smart target also, but with no transfer links to the Portugal star, it appears unlikely that the Blues will make a move at this moment in time.

The Porto goalkeeper’s price-tag could also prove to be a stumbling block as Chelsea look to strengthen multiple areas during the transfer window.