Chelsea face breaking yet another transfer record with new goalkeeper targeted

Chelsea could break another transfer record, this time smashing the highest-paid fee for an MLS player, with the free-spending Blues reportedly targeting New England Revolution goalkeeper, Djordje Petrovic. The West London club are on the hunt for another goalkeeper after sanctioning the loan of Kepa Arrizabalaga to Real Madrid, and 23-year-old Petrovic has caught the eye, according to the Evening Standard.

In order for Petrovic to move, the Serbian international would like to be the No. 1 goalkeeper and he was previously being tracked by Manchester United, who went on to sign Andre Onana from Inter Milan. It is thought that Petrovic would cost £24 million, which would be the highest-ever fee paid for an MLS player.

The record is currently held by Miguel Almiron, who joined Premier League club Newcastle United for £20.5m in 2019 from Atalanta United. Petrovic is under contract in New England until 2025 with an option to extend for a further year. He was brought to the club to replace Matt Turner in 2022, who joined Arsenal. Petrovic has played 48 times for the MLS side, keeping 15 clean sheets.

Chelsea being willing to smash another transfer record should come as no surprise, considering the Stamford Bridge club broke the British transfer record twice in just over six months, buying Enzo Fernandez (£106.5m) from Benfica following his World Cup-winning exploits with Argentina, and now Ecuadorian Moises Caicedo (£115m) from Brighton. Under American Todd Boehly’s ownership, alongside other business partners, Chelsea have spent £906m on players across three transfer windows. That figure could rise again in the next few days after a £58m deal was agreed upon to sign Southampton midfielder, Romeo Lavia.

Rather incredibly, Chelsea have spent more than the Spanish top-flight league, La Liga, since the summer of 2022. La Liga president Javier Tebas accused the Premier League, and Saudi, of ruining the transfer market. 

The Premier League is also now considering closing the Financial Fair Play contract loophole that has been successfully exploited by Chelsea. That would bring their accounting rules in line with UEFA’s from next summer, according to the Daily Mail. 

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The report quotes a Premier League source as saying: “This hasn’t been discussed formally, but is something we will look at. Alignment with UEFA rules would make sense for all parties.

“The only club currently handing out eight-year contracts on a regular basis is likely to be involved in UEFA competitions soon, as are any others that follow suit.”

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