Glen Johnson urges incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino to reinstall Edouard Mendy as Chelsea number one. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Speaking on Betfred (h/t Metro), former Chelsea star Glen Johnson believes Mauricio Pochettino should retain faith in Edouard Mendy should the Argentine take over at Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino has been unattached since leaving his position with Paris Saint Germain last year and is the favourite to land the Chelsea job. Following a tumultuous season, the Blues will need direction and drive going forward in their bid to return to the top four.
One key decision the new manager will need to make is the Blues’ goalkeeping conundrum. Kepa Arrizabalaga is the most expensive goalkeeper in history but has failed to live up to the name while Edouard Mendy has struggled to break into the first XI this season.
This has seen the Blues linked with Inter Milan star Andre Onana who continues to impress at the Giuseppe Meazza. While the Cameroonian is an able shot-stopper Pochettino appears to have some reservations regarding his ability. That does not augur well especially if the club decides to make him the next permanent manager.
Johnson has weighed in on the issue and claims that Chelsea should only move for the Serie A star should Mendy or Kepa be moved on. The former is attracting much attention from Bayern Munich, now managed by former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.
Mendy was a regular under Tuchel but has fallen prey to hard times at the club this season. Johnson believes the 31-year-old remains the solution to our goalkeeping woes and has urged Pochettino to restore him to the position of pre-eminence.
“You can understand why Bayern Munich want him but I believe Chelsea should do all they can to keep him as I believe he’s their number one.”
Johnson believes Mendy is just a victim of the unrest at the club at this moment. The veteran has already proven his worth in Blue and there is no reason why he can rediscover the form with some stability.
“I think he would be a big loss to Chelsea. He’s another player that’s seemed to struggle with the chaos at Chelsea at present, but when he had stable foundations around him when he first moved to the Premier League, then he seemed to be one of the best.”
Mendy is a much more consistent performer than Kepa and still has much to offer us. While we are not averse to a new goalkeeper, it would be foolish to dismiss Mendy as he has been given our need to also strengthen other positions.
A move to Bayern Munich would not be in Mendy’s best interests. Tuchel is likely to restore Manuel Neuer to the starting lineup and that should largely see Mendy warm the bench. More so, the German’s treatment of Yan Sommer should raise serious eyebrows. Clearly, we cannot see his man-management tactics with rose-tinted glasses all the time.
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