An African star is now reportedly close to leaving Chelsea and joining one of their biggest Premier League rivals next season.
The Blues suffered yet another defeat this past weekend, taking their tally of losses to 15 this season and remaining firmly in the bottom half of the Premier League table after going down 1-0 to champions Manchester City.
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Their woes on the pitch have mirrored their issues off it, with their squad looking disjointed and bloated after making 13 signings since the start of 2022/23, and being under the care of four different managers over the course of the campaign.
With no European competition to play for in 2023/24, the Blues must balance their books in order to avoid any financial fair play-related sanctions.
As such, it is reported that as many as 11 players could depart at the end of June, with at least half of them expected to leave on permanent deals.
According to The Sun, one of them is goalkeeper Edouard Mendy after falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge following Thomas Tuchel's sacking last September.
It is further claimed the Senegal international could be set for a switch to Tottenham Hotspur as he is reportedly viewed as a suitable replacement for their captain Hugo Lloris, who himself is rumoured to be on his way out of the club after more than a decade in north London.
Mendy enjoyed a meteoric rise with the Blues, winning the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League in his first 12 months at the club, before going on to win the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2021 Senegal Footballer of The Year prize.
He was also named The Best UEFA Men's Goalkeeper that term, but things have since gone in the opposite direction for the shot-stopper.
This season he has played just 12 games and kept one clean sheet after losing his No. 1 spot to Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The report claims that his situation at Chelsea has seen the African shot-stopper lose his confidence between the sticks, and is thus open to an exit after changing his agent in March.
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Having since joined Fali Ramadani's Lian Sports, a move to Italy could also be on the cards for the 31-year-old as Ramadani's connections are understood to run deep in Serie A.
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