‘I didn’t see it coming’ – Chelsea signing shocked by £17m transfer move

Mike Penders admits helium was shocked to larn of Chelsea’s involvement past summertime and cannot hold to get started astatine Stamford Bridge.

It was announced successful August 2024 that Chelsea had seen disconnected contention from Paris Saint-Germain to hold a woody worthy successful the portion of€20m (£16.7m) for the 19-year-old Genk goalkeeper.

The Blues decided it was champion for Penders’ improvement to enactment enactment astatine Genk for the clip being, though, and the highly rated teen volition implicit a determination to westbound London astatine the extremity of the 2024/25 campaign.

Penders started the run arsenic Genk’s second-choice ‘keeper but appears to person ousted Hendrik Van Crombrugge arsenic the club’s fig 1 since the crook of the year, making 7 starts successful full successful the Belgian Pro League.

Despite his tender years, Penders whitethorn already person spotted a imaginable way to the first-team astatine Chelsea fixed Robert Sanchez’s less-than-convincing performances betwixt the sticks successful caller months.

Filip Jorgensen, meanwhile, is yet to found himself arsenic a regular nether Enzo Maresca since his £20m power from Villarreal six months ago.

But the determination to Chelsea came arsenic a implicit astonishment to Penders and the youngster is keen to support his feet firmly connected the ground.

‘I didn’t spot it coming – Chelsea and PSG are not the smallest clubs,’ Penders told Belgian work De Morgen.

‘PSG did not privation to wage what Genk asked. Chelsea, connected the different hand, came up with a precise factual plan, some sporting and financially.’

Penders revealed that Chelsea had been keeping tabs connected his advancement for immoderate clip portion helium was making a sanction for himself successful Genk’s younker teams.

‘Chelsea did not take maine based connected a fewer games successful the first-team,’ helium added.

‘They had intensively followed maine the full play earlier astatine Jong Genk.

‘So, you tin spot however important the academy is and wherefore you should instrumentality those competitions seriously.’

Penders, who stands astatine 6 ft 7 in, has been capped 7 times by the Belgium Under-19 nationalist team.

Last twelvemonth the promising teen became the 3rd youngest goalkeeper to marque their debut successful the past of the Belgian Pro League, aged 18 years and 363 days.

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