Chelsea make £16million offer for top Enzo Maresca target

Chelsea have reportedly submitted an opening bid worth around €20million (£16.8m) for Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

It was reported last week that Chelsea had changed their transfer plans regarding signing a new keeper with Enzo Maresca keen to have a No.1 comfortable in possession and with a great passing range.

While the new Blues boss is content to start Robert Sanchez, back-up Djordje Petrovic is not renowned for those qualities and is now in line to leave Stamford Bridge after just one season.

Maresca wants a keeper who can challenge Sanchez for the No.1 spot and it appears he has found his man.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea have made their opening offer for Jorgensen who was said to be on the manager’s shortlist and is keen on moving to West London.

The Dane came through Villarreal’s academy but only established himself as the La Liga side’s No.1 keeper last season, conceding 64 goals in 37 games and keeping six clean sheets.

At just 22-years-old he is still young and developing and has shown great promise, but with five years left on his contract it remains to be seen whether Villarreal would accept Chelsea’s bid, especially since it fall well below his reported release clause of £38m.

There are other names on the Blues’ shortlist but moves for Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale and Burnley’s James Trafford have been ruled out.

Fellow England keeper Jordan Pickford of Everton and Brazil international Bento have also been linked.

Sanchez only joined Chelsea from Brighton for £25m last summer but failed to show that he was worthy of being their first-choice goalkeeper in the long run.

The 26-year-old conceded 30 goals in 21 appearances in his debut season, keeping just five clean sheets, and has scarcely played since the turn of the year after suffering a knee injury and losing his place to Petrovic.

Maresca has already been busy in the transfer market this summer, spending around £74m on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Omari Kellyman, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo.

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