Atletico Madrid are afraid of losing Jan Oblak to Chelsea
According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague(h/t Express), Atletico Madrid are worried that ace goalkeeper Jan Oblak will seek a move to Chelsea this summer.
The Blues are on the lookout for a keeper following a series of unconvincing performances by the current number one Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is not a fan of Kepa and would seek to move him along if possible. Oblak is a keeper on the club’s list with a potential swap involving Kepa touted as a possibility.
Although Chelsea have not yet made an offer for the Slovakiain, Atletico are unsure how Oblak will behave if an offer eventually comes in.
“Atletico Madrid are scared that Oblak will listen to that proposition, to that offer, which could arrive if Chelsea feel that Oblak will be willing to leave.”
Atletico’s worries are not without cause. It was reported earlier by the Daily Mail that Oblak is open to the idea of moving to the Premier League.
The 27-year-old remains a key member of Diego Simeone’s side and the Argentine is keen to keep him at the club.
The iron wall from Slovakia!
Oblak is regarded by many as the best goalkeepers in world football and is a proven talent at the top level. He has conceded just 176 goals in 257 matches for Atletico and has kept an impressive 139 clean sheets. The fact that he averages a paltry 0.68 goals conceded per match is mind-boggling.
The Slovakian would be a significant upgrade on Kepa. In fact, Chelsea will be hard-pressed to find a better last line of defence.
A major obstacle however continues to be his impressive £108million release clause. Meeting the price will see Chelsea break the world-record fee for a goalkeeper for the second time in three years.
More Chelsea News
- Chelsea enter talks for former Nice star Malang Sarr
- Blues keen to bring in Edouard Mendy to compete with Kepa Arrizabalaga
- Chelsea asked to pay up to secure Kai Havertz
Chelsea have already signed Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner. The potential additions of Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell could significantly inflate the club’s net spend this summer.
Given the resources already in play, it remains to be seen if we can afford Oblak if at all.
