Chelsea have been handed a huge setback in their pursuit of Andre Onana. The Inter Milan goalkeeper has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge recently as Mauricio Pochettino reportedly looks to further bolster his options between the sticks.
Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy both face increasingly uncertain futures at the club. The duo haven't impressed for the Blues for a while now and neither are willing to settle for anything less than the number one shirt.
So, it seems that Chelsea are in the market for a new shot-stopper and Onana has emerged as a target. According to Italian outlet TMW, the Blues' idea of swapping Kepa for the 27-year-old has been shut down by Inter, who want cash to help balance their books.
READ MORE: What Frank Lampard did vs Man Utd quietly exposed Chelsea's big problem for Mauricio Pochettino
The report states that the Nerazzurri could demand as much as €70million (£60.8m) for Onana, though they only asked for €45m (£39m) not too long ago. With four years remaining on the Cameroon international's contract at the San Siro, Inter look well-positioned to hold out for a respectable fee.
If Chelsea have any qualms about signing Onana then they should heed the advice of Rio Ferdinand. Speaking on BT Sport after Inter booked a place in the Champions League final, the former Manchester United defender said: "Modern-day goalkeeper – he’s top class.
"He takes the ball under pressure, doesn’t panic, and brings the other team onto him, which creates space around that. He plays over or through the press. He was fabulous tonight in doing that."
Who is your Chelsea player of the season? Have your say by voting below!
Whether Chelsea sign Onana or not, Gary Neville has insisted that they must sign a new goalkeeper this summer. In April, the former Red Devils defender claimed that the Blues are just two signings away from challenging for the Premier League title again.
Speaking on The Overlap, Neville said: "Obviously they’re short. They’re short of a manager, they’re short of a centre-forward. I think the goalkeeper could be better. But I just thought when I was watching them [against Liverpool], Wesley Fofana the centre-back I thought was fantastic, they’ve got Benoit Badiashile on the bench, Kalidou Koulibaly is obviously a half-decent defender and the two full-backs have got the ability – if they stay fit – to be the best in Ben Chilwell and Reece James.
"I thought the midfield three of Enzo Fernandez, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante, behind Manchester City’s of Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan, probably the best midfield as a three I’ve seen all season. They were fantastic as a three.
"And then you’ve got Joao Felix and Kai Havertz – now if you put a centre-forward in there… They had Mason Mount on the bench, they had Raheem Sterling on the bench, they had loads of others on the bench. Thiago Silva to come back.
"I thought, if you put a proper manager there and you get a couple of decent signings, are they nearer [to the Premier League title] than maybe Manchester United are? When you look at Manchester United’s midfield, Marcel Sabitzer, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes – obviously Casemiro has got to come back in.
"Manchester United need a centre-forward, they need definitely some full-backs and a centre-half as well. So you’re looking at it and thinking, who is actually nearer? Liverpool look a million miles away at the moment.
"Liverpool look like they need a little bit – a lot – of a rebuild. So I think Chelsea showed some promise [vs Liverpool], I thought they played pretty well in the game, they were by far the better team.
"Obviously they’re well out of it at the moment, but they could be nearer than we all think when you look at some of the players they’ve got."
READ NEXT:
Enzo Fernandez flips at Mykhailo Mudryk as Chelsea set records versus Manchester United
Levi Colwill posts inflammatory Chelsea message after Man Utd loss amid transfer hint
Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets on the Premier League final day with Bet 365
Chelsea player ratings vs Manchester United as Lewis Hall sets standard again, Fofana struggles
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates from Stamford Bridge
