Chelsea target Alex Meret open to leaving Napoli on loan
According to Football.london, Federico Pastorello, who is the agent of Napoli keeper Alex Meret, has played down the chances of his client leaving the club on a permanent transfer.
He has, however, opened up the possibility of Meret being open to a loan switch. This will come as good news for Chelsea who are on the lookout for a new goalkeeper. (h/t Football.london)
“We are willing to go out on loan to play, if necessary.”
Current number one Kepa Arrizabalaga has failed to impress and has seen his position at the club come under scrutiny. Frank Lampard went as far as to drop the Spaniard for Willy Caballero towards the end of the season.
His future at the club now is in doubt with Chelsea scouring for a replacement.
23-year-old Meret joined Napoli from Udinese in 2015. After two impressive loan spells at SPAL, he returned to the San Paolo and was used in rotation with David Ospina
He was eventually benched by new manager Gennaro Gattuso, who favoured Ospina. Meret did, however, have the last laugh as he replaced the injured Colombian to help Napoli defeat Juventus in the 2020 Coppa Italia final.
If his agent’s words are to be taken on face value, it would appear that his match-winning performance has done little to change the status quo at Napoli.
If Ospina is to continue as the Italian side’s first-choice, it makes sense for Meret to move elsewhere in search of regular football.
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In a sense the youngster’s predicament could play into Chelsea’s hands. Although the Blues need a new keeper, it is possible that the club may not have enough money to shop at the high end of the table.
This owing to our persistent interest in Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz. Hence, bringing in someone on a short term deal will give us enough time to consider our options and make a move in due course.
More so Meret will not have the perfect opportunity to prove a point to Gattuso. With Champions League football also on the table, the Italian can test himself out against the very best Europe has to offer.
It is a win-win for both him and Chelsea.