(Credit: Imago)

Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Tue 17 March 2026 18:15, UK

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Mike Penders is set to be given the chance to stake a claim to take over as Chelsea’s number one goalkeeper this summer, sources have told Football Insider.

The Belgian is due to return to Stamford Bridge from his loan spell with Strasbourg at the end of the campaign, when he will then be given the opportunity to prove himself during pre-season.

Blues boss Liam Rosenior is a big admirer of the 20-year-old, having worked with him during his time at the helm of the Ligue 1 outfit, and sources say that he is already being lined up as Chelsea’s solution between the posts.

A strong impact from Penders upon his return could tempt the West Londoners away from the market for a new goalkeeper, instead allowing for greater focus on the rest of Chelsea’s transfer plans.

Who is Mike Penders?

Chelsea fans are unlikely to be too familiar with Penders at the moment, as he is still waiting to make his first competitive appearance for the Blues after joining from Genk in 2024.

He has already been earmarked as a promising talent for the future by BlueCo, and was immediately sent out on loan to Strasbourg after his transfer official went through last summer.

The Blues splashed out a fee in the region of £17million to sign the starlet just one month after his senior debut for Genk, and he has gone on to play a key role for their sister club this term.

The young stopper has kept eight clean sheets from 25 games in the French top flight so far in 2025-26, a tally only bettered by four other ‘keepers, almost all of whom have far greater experience at the level.

Penders has also earned his first appearances for Belgium at U21 level this season, and the hope at Stamford Bridge is that he is already on the right track to go on and achieve big things in the game.

He could be about to get his big chance earlier than expected, with Rosenior ready to give him the opportunity to leapfrog the struggling duo of Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen ahead of next season.

Chelsea in need of major sales amid ‘very concerning’ loss

Former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness recently told Football Insider that he is expecting Chelsea to be in “overdrive” regarding player sales this summer, as they look to recoup some cash after an eye-catching loss.

Figures recently revealed by UEFA have shown that the West Londoners lost a staggering £342m during the 2024-25 campaign, an amount that Wyness noted was the “highest ever loss” that he has seen from a Premier League club.

The Scottish businessman also indicated that the club hierarchy no longer have the option of selling their hotels or the women’s team in order to bring in further cash, and he now sees player trading as the only way to be able to bring those losses down.

He is expecting Chelsea to be “very active” in the summer market as a result, which could see several players going in and out of the squad ahead of next season.