Chelsea Continuing to Scout Nick Pope as Search for New Goalkeeper Ramps Up

Exclusive - Chelsea remain interested in Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope and they have stepped up their scouting of the Englishman in recent weeks.


Frank Lampard is on the lookout for a new shot-stopper, having grown frustrated with record signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, whose struggles in between the posts for Chelsea continued on Wednesday in the 5-3 defeat to Liverpool.


Frank Lampard does not believe Arrizabalaga has a long-term future at the club

There is an acceptance that finding a new goalkeeper needs to be bumped up on Chelsea's agenda even if Arrizabalaga does stay at the club, and the Blues have been looking all over the world for potential options.


The likes of Atlético Madrid's Jan Oblak, Ajax's André Onana and Manchester United's Dean Henderson have all played their way on to Chelsea's wish list, but one name which has long been mentioned is Pope, and a source has confirmed to 90min that he is one of several players who remains on the radar.


Many in Lampard's backroom staff have been hugely impressed by Pope, whose tally of 15 clean sheets has him just one behind Ederson in the race for the Premier League's Golden Glove award. By contrast, Arrizabalaga has managed eight clean sheets this season and just one away from home.


Pope is in the race for the Golden Glove award

The Blues have been conducting background checks on Pope to see whether it would be worth bidding for him, but he is by no means the only option under consideration. A lot of Chelsea's next moves will come down to finances and whether Lampard can raise any money through player sales.


There is a belief that Pope would be among the cheapest of all their targets, as well as one of the easiest to negotiate for, so Chelsea are keeping him in their thoughts.


Should Chelsea be able to offload Arrizabalaga, there would be more wiggle room in both the transfer budget and the wage budget to pursue a different target, but finding somebody prepared to take on the Spaniard is a whole new issue.


Lampard wants a new goalkeeper even if Arrizabalaga does remain at Stamford Bridge

90min exclusively revealed that Valencia are interested in landing Arrizabalaga alongside Manchester City's David Silva, but given the issues with affording any move for the goalkeeper, a multi-year loan deal could prove to be the most likely outcome.


Chelsea have been willing to do similar business in the past, having sent Álvaro Morata on an 18-month loan to Atlético Madrid just one season after paying a then-record £60m to sign him - a move which saw them recover close to all that money.



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Source : 90min