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Tom Coley

Chelsea told not to sign England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford despite Edouard Mendy form concerns

The one constant, other than Mason Mount who has also started every game for Graham Potter, has been Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Formations have changed, systems have been tweaked, rotation and tinker has been evident, Potter's first choice keeper might have changed from those before him.

It's a tough one to fully decipher. Perhaps if Edouard Mendy had been fit to play when Potter came in, he would be playing each game. Maybe the fact that Kepa played in Thomas Tuchel's last game had an impact too, keep things relatively simple, say.

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Potter hasn't wavered from Kepa though and that is despite the suspect nature of RB Salzburg's equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. Since then, Kepa has been faultless and has returned to the form that Tuchel extracted from him during points of his tenure.

The Spaniard became a reliable back-up option and was trusted, every now and then, with taking over the gloves for certain league matches too. Potter's faith in Kepa has so far paid off, with three clean sheets in a row heading into Chelsea's away trip to Aston Villa.

Mendy is now back and ready to play, but with Kepa offering no reason to rotate, it would be harsh to see the position taken from him. This is especially worth noting when considering Potter likes to have a capable ball player in goal, something that Kepa is better at than Mendy.

The form of the Senegalese stopper had also been questioned towards the back-end of Tuchel's reign, with his early contract negotiatons coinciding with his worst patch of form since joining the club and a tumultuous run of games for the team too.

It was a run that has caused Chelsea to look to the short-term and long-term future for the position. Mendy, a late blossomer, was never truly the long-term option that Thibaut Courtois or Kepa were sounded out as. Although at 30-years-old he is far from over, his style of goalkeeping mixed with Potter's demands could mean that it won't be long before Todd Boehly seriously looks at new No.1s.

Transfer expert Simon Phillips reported that Chelsea had shortlisted Everton and England keeper Jordan Pickford as someone who could fill the void, but former Blues defender Glen Johnson doesn't want to see him at Stamford Bridge. “Mendy’s been unreal since he joined Chelsea, so you wouldn’t want to act hastily by signing a replacement so suddenly," he told Bettingodds.com.

"Form is temporary but class is permanent.

“I don’t think Pickford would be a good replacement at all. Kepa’s been decent in recent games, even though I know he’s not everybody’s cup of tea. They’ve paid a lot for their goalkeepers, so buying somebody else isn’t the option. You’ve got to work with what you’ve got and Kepa’s doing well now he’s got his chance.”

That would appear to come straight from the Potter school of thinking, improve what is available first before making hasty calls. Given the development of Bobby Sanchez into one of the best keepers outside of the top four over the past two campaigns, maybe there is hope still for Kepa or Mendy.

Chelsea, who are likely to be active in the next two transfer windows, do also now have access to one of the leading goalkeeper coaches in Ben Roberts. This could be a key factor in deciding when to make an approach for a new keeper, especially as they could be spending upwards of £200m on other positions to strengthen in, Potter will be asking if the money for a new keeper could be better spent elsewhere.

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