A new transfer report has claimed that both Chelsea and Bayern Munich are interested in signing Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, ,with Chelsea apparently willing to meet Brighton's £50million valuation of the Dutch goalkeeper. Both Chelsea and Bayern Munich will soon need to sign a top goalkeeper soon, for completely opposite reasons.
In the case of Chelsea, first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has been terribly inconsistent throughout his Chelsea career. Although he showed signs of brilliance in certain games, those moments have been rare and the Spaniard has been heavily criticized for his mistakes in several games that cost Chelsea dearly.
Coming to Bayern Munich, the time has come for the club to look at a long-term successor for their legendary goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer. The legendary goalkeeper is 39 years old, and will soon turn 40 next month. Thus, he probably doesn't have many years left in him at the highest level.
New transfer report reveals Chelsea and Bayern Munich want to sign Brighton's Bart Verbruggen
A report from TEAMtalk has claimed that Chelsea are preparing to rival Bayern Munich for the signing of Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and are willing to meet Brighton’s £50m valuation. Tottenham and Newcastle have also shown interest apparently, but both are weakened by their inability to offer guaranteed Champions League football. The report also states that Bayern have tracked Verbruggen since last summer, and the player is now open to a move with just over two years left on his contract. Chelsea are set to make a strong push, with Liam Rosenior keen to add competition for the inconsistent Robert Sanchez.
Why Chelsea are serious about signing Bart Verbruggen
The same Teamtalk report has mentioned that Chelsea’s interest in Bart Verbruggen is being driven by strong internal backing, with co-sporting director Paul Winstanley and head of global goalkeeping Ben Roberts both having closely worked on the goalkeeper during their time at Brighton. The pair were involved in the early scouting and groundwork that led to Verbruggen’s move to the Amex and are now fully behind Chelsea’s renewed push to sign him. Despite leaving Brighton before the transfer was completed, their knowledge of the player is shaping Chelsea’s approach. Brighton are expected to demand over £50m for Verbruggen, and Chelsea are prepared to negotiate at that level, continuing their trend of big-money deals with the south-coast club.
Our opinion on Chelsea potentially signing Bart Verbruggen
Bart Verbruggen is undoubtedly an exciting player, especially considering the fact he's just 23 and still has huge room for improvement. However, we are not 100% sure if he's the best goalkeeper for a club like Chelsea, especially considering the number of goals Brighton have conceded in the Premier League this season.
Despite the concerns we have, if Chelsea do end up signing Verbruggen from Brighton , he'll undoubtedly be a huge upgrade on Robert Sanchez. The Spanish goalkeeper has been horrendous for Chelsea, as he has made several goalkeeping mistakes that an elite goalie would never make. Thus, Verbruggen is sure to at least improve Chelsea as a team. Let us wait and see if the Dutch goalkeeper ends up at Stamford Bridge or not.
