European club bargain Chelsea for extra £4.8m with deal 'agreed'

Chelsea are said to have agreed a deal, paying more than first thought for one of their transfer targets.

Chelsea will reportedly pay more than first believed to secure one of their key transfer targets this summer. Heading into this summer, it looked certain that Djordje Petrovic would be the club’s number two behind Robert Sanchez, but Enzo Maresca’s arrival has changed all that.

Maresca is said to want a goalkeeper who can compete with Robert Sanchez rather than being the out-and-out number two, and Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen has been identified as a goalkeeper who can fulfil that role. Jorgensen became Villarreal’s number one last season, and after a shaky start, he would become the undisputed number one and one of the best young keepers in La Liga.

Still only 22 years of age, Jorgensen is tipped to become a top goalkeeper, and Villarreal recognised that by handing him a new contract earlier this summer to take his deal up to 2029. But with a release clause worth around £30million, Jorgensen was not put totally out of reach.

Chelsea have managed to turn the Danish youth international’s head, and it looks as though a deal will be struck, but not for the £16.9million first reported. According to the Daily Mail, Villarreal have held out for 25million euros, which is around £21.7million, and the deal has now been agreed.

It’s reported that a medical will take place this coming week with Jorgensen set to fly to the USA to link up with the Blues and to undergo medical tests. Villarreal will be pleased to land such a big fee for a player they signed for free as a youth international, while Jorgensen has only played one full season as their number one.

The Yellow Submarine released Pepe Reina this summer, replacing him with former Leganes man Diego Conde, but they will now need to find a new goalkeeper to replace Jorgensen, while they are yet to spend significantly, waiting to offload players like Ben Brereton-Diaz, while star striker Alexander Sorloth is also attracting serious attention.

What Jorgensen has said

The Sweden-born Denmark youth international, who got his first Denmark senior call-up during the summer, said in May before his contract was renewed to 2029: “I have a contract until 2027, but people don’t know much about it because it hasn’t been officially published. My future is in Villarreal. The next step for me is to play in the Champions League. There are many good keepers in Denmark, but I believe I will get my opportunity.” Reports claim Jorgensen will now pen a seven-year deal with Chelsea as the Blues continue to spread out contracts. Whether the 22-year-old can oust Sanchez as the number one remains to be seen, but he showed real character to get over early season struggles and kick on last season, and that’s something Chelsea will have taken into account when looking for a goalkeeper who can battle with Sanchez for that starting spot. Meanwhile, it remains unclear what interest there is in Petrovic and whether the Serbian will leave the club in the near future.