Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Rennes goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, with confirmation of his arrival now imminent, according to the player's agent.
The Blues are desperate to add a shot-stopper to their ranks this summer following Kepa Arrizabalaga's dismal second season at Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard's woes continued during the Blues' 2020/21 season opener at Brighton, as he let Leandro Trossard's relatively tame shot from distance sneak under his outstretched arm.
Nevertheless, Chelsea are set to provide competition for Kepa in the form of Rennes shot-stopper Mendy, a target identified by technical and performance advisor Petr Čech.
The Blues agreed a deal with the French club for the 28-year-old last week and the player's agent has now confirmed it's merely a matter of sorting out the formalities before Mendy is confirmed as a Chelsea player.
“The deal with Chelsea is almost done. Only the formalisation is remaining. It could be completed even on next hours,” Mendy's agent said to Extra Time (via Fabrizio Romano).
Although there are conflicting reports over the fee Chelsea will pay for the Frenchman, it appears that director Marina Granovskaia has managed to negotiate a price which falls under Rennes' initial £30m+ asking price.
Despite Kepa's woes, it's unlikely that Mendy will be thrust straight into Frank Lampard's starting XI.
The Spaniard has made it clear that he intends to stay and fight for his position at the club, with Lampard understood to be impressed by the Spaniard's determination to bounce back from an abysmal campaign.
Mendy will also have to undergo a mandatory quarantine period following his UK arrival from France.
Elsewhere, Chelsea are expected to oversee the loan of Davide Zappacosta to Genoa, as per Gianluca Di Marzio.
The Italian was brought to the club by Antonio Conte in 2017 but has failed to make a mark in west London.
He's yet to make an appearance under Lampard after spending the 2019/20 campaign out on loan at Roma, where he made just nine Serie A appearances.
Source: 90min
