Chelsea face competition from PL rivals in race for 34-year-old free agent

Transfer News: Chelsea, Aston Villa in hunt for Wayne Hennessey signing

According to transfer news from BBC, Chelsea and Aston Villa could battle it out for the signing of Wayne Hennessey who has been released by Crystal Palace.

Hennessey, who came through the ranks at Manchester City before joining the Wolves youth setup, is a vastly experienced customer. The 34-year-old over ten years with the Midlands’ club during which he had a number of loan stints while making over 160 appearances, before signing for Crystal Palace in 2014.

During his time at Selhurst Park, Hennessey was often shuffled between the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, limiting him to 132 appearances for the Eagles. Capped 96 times by the Wales national team, the 34-year-old has now been released by the London club, making him a free agent this summer.

And, his availability in a Bosman deal has seemingly attracted the interest of both Chelsea and Aston Villa. The Blues could potentially be looking at Hennessey as the third-choice goalkeeper in the squad following the exit of Willy Caballero.

The Argentine shot-stopper bid adieu to the Blues at the end of the season after his contract ran out. His departure leaves a vacancy for an experienced custodian to come in and provide cover for Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

However, Chelsea are set to face competition from Aston Villa for the services of Hennessey. The Villans could be looking at the Wales international as a potential replacement for Tom Heaton, who has signed for Manchester United on a free transfer earlier this month.

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While it is not exactly a priority piece of business for Chelsea, adding an experienced campaigner like Hennessey would certainly add value to the squad.