Penders joins Strasbourg on loan
- Published
Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders was always likely to join Strasbourg this summer and it has finally been made official.
The 19-year-old is highly regarded at Stamford Bridge and manager Enzo Maresca took him to the United States as part of his Club World Cup-winning team to take a closer look at the Belgian.
However, Penders has only made 26 senior appearances in his short career so a loan move was always likely.
Strasbourg are also owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's BlueCo and thus have emerged as the primary destination for young players to go on loan from Chelsea, especially ones the club feel have a long term future inside their project.
Penders perfectly fits the BlueCo ideology of player development, but is making a significant step up from Belgian football given Strasbourg have qualified for European football this season.
Replacing former number one Djordje Petrovic - who joined Bournemouth for £25m this summer after winning Strasbourg's player of the year award - will also be difficult.
Yet Penders is seen as a keeper who some day is capable of reaching the highest level within the Chelsea/Strasbourg system - and this is an opportunity to live up to those beliefs.