Chelsea boss Graham Potter tight-lipped on the contract situation of Edouard Mendy
Speaking in the press conference ahead of the game against Bournemouth (h/t Football.London), Chelsea boss Graham Potter didn’t give much away when asked about the contract situation of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
A few days ago, it was reported in the Daily Mail that Mendy rejected a six-year deal offered by Chelsea because the club is not showing him enough respect with the wages on the table.
To be fair, the Senegal international still has more than two years left in his current deal at Stamford Bridge (Transfermarkt). But, the urge to earn more to reflect his status on the squad is there.
Here’s what Potter said when asked about his goalkeeper’s contract situation (h/t Football.London):
“It’s not my place to speak publicly about a player’s contract situation. That’s between them and the club.”
From his arrival in the summer of 2020 till the first half of this season, Mendy was Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper. However, things have not been the same since.
The 30-year-old’s form was rotten in the latter half of last season, which did not improve by much at the start of this. When Potter arrived, he preferred Kepa Arrizabalaga as his number one even when Mendy was fit. Although the manager stated that he would let football decide who his number one is (Mirror).
After that, all eyes were on the World Cup to see how Mendy reacts to being dropped by his club manager. He started off with two howlers against the Netherlands and did okay in the rest of the games.
Is that enough to convince Potter to get him back as the team’s number one? We highly doubt so. Hence, keeping the player’s current squad status in mind, giving him a pay hike does not make a lot of sense.
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- Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana sidelined for a few weeks but injury not serious
So, it is up to Mendy now to show that he can come back to his best and warrant the pay rise in due course of time. An important second half of the season is coming up for him and the team.