Chelsea will temporarily break up with a member of the team to attend the Club World Cup right after the 3-0 victory over PSG. That is the case of young goalkeeper Mike Penders.
Mike Penders – 19 -year -old Belgian goalkeeper, attracted Chelsea's attention last summer. Immediately, he was bought by Chelsea from GenK for a fee of 20 million euros (about 17 million pounds). This is a significant number for a young goalkeeper, showing that Chelsea highly appreciated the potential of Penders.
Immediately after signing the contract, Penders were lent by Chelsea, where he had experienced the 2024/25 season very successfully. In Genk, Penders had 21 appearances in the Belgian league, an impressive figure for a young player in the goalkeeper position. The regular competition in the professional tournament has helped Penders to gain valuable experience, develop skills and show their abilities.
As a result, Penders was included in the Chelsea's FIFA Club World Cup squad by coach Chelsea in 2025. He has never been used.
As soon as Chelsea defeat PSG to take the FIFA Club World Cup, Penders will temporarily leave the London team to go to Strassbourg to check the health before signing a loan contract in the 2025/26 season.
This is the appropriate and accurate job of Maresca because at Chelsea without playing frequently will greatly affect the development of Penders. If nothing changes, Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen will be the No. 1 and No. 2 choice of the Blues in the wooden frame.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea considered Penders as the No. 1 goalkeeper in the future. Therefore, they are very cautious in sending Penders to other clubs on loan.