Chelsea have reached a verbal deal with the MLS club New England Revolution for Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. This is according to a report from Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who had been tracking the process since the London club’s interest was first discovered.
Djordje Petrovic Close to Joining Chelsea
Watch: How Chelsea and Liverpool destroyed the transfer market.
Romano posted that the fee for Petrovic would cost Chelsea in between £13 and £14 million, without add-ons. The new singing is meant to compete with the current starting keeper, Robert Sanchez, to be the Blues’ number one. Should the Serbian not get the starting role, it is likely he will feature in domestic cup competitions to give the Spaniard some rest time.
Medical tests will reportedly take place with the London side today, as the player looks to join the growing number of people joining the English top flight from America. The 23-year-old has already played one notable match against a London outfit; a 5-0 drubbing from Arsenal in this year’s MLS Allstar Game.
Introducing Petrovic
Petrovic, who has already played multiple games for the Serbian national team, has been on the radar of more Premier League clubs than just Chelsea. Nottingham Forest were contemplating a transfer but were unable to reach a deal with his Boston outfit. Now, Mauricio Pochettino has stolen the goalkeeper away from any other contenders.
The Blues are getting him right as he is entering his prime. New England has prospered with the young player in goal, and during this current campaign, the Serbian has led the MLS in both the number of saves and save percentage. He is also a former national team player within the youth levels, Petrovic finished second in 2022 MLS voting.
Always Ready to Step Up
When the then 22-year-old joined the Revolution, he replaced USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner, as the American departed for Arsenal. He now looks set to join a team that are without two of last season’s goalkeepers, following Kepa Arrizabalaga’s season-long loan to Real Madrid, and Edouard Mendy’s sale to Saudi club Al-Ahli.
Petrovic nears his move to England in what could be a huge boost to both the MLS and Serbia. Premier League experience is unlike any other domestic competition, and should he perform well on this magnificent stage, the stock of his national team will improve as well as the credit for America’s top division.
Here We Go
Romano has issued an update on the deal giving it his trademark “here we go”. The goalkeeper will sign with the Blues today, and his contract will run until 2030. with an option to add one more year. The Italian confirmed that the add-ons to the deal would take the total cost over £15 million, and be completed this week.
