Brad Friedel has claimed his support for Djorde Petrovic to become Chelsea’s No. 1 goalkeeper in future
Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel has backed Djorde Petrovic to become Chelsea’s No. 1 goalkeeper in the near future after the Blues signed the Serbian from New England Revolution.
The Blues signed Robert Sanchez after loaning Kepa Arrizabalaga to Real Madrid for the entire season, but they still needed competition considering Edouard Mendy’s exit. And hence, they expressed interest in Petrovic and subsequently recruited him.
Last season, the Serbian goalkeeper was named Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year despite making just 22 appearances for the England Revolution. That already shows that he is in an elite bracket of goalies outside Europe.
The West Londoners currently have Sanchez as their first choice, as they need someone who can challenge the former Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper.
The Blues seem to have made the right choice by signing Petrovic, as Brad Friedel has hailed Chelsea’s buying and feels the 23-year-old will become the club’s first-choice goalkeeper in the future. The former Chelsea and USMNT shot-stopper he told Sky Sports:
“He’s a tremendous shot-stopper, very rarely leaves bad rebounds, and exceptional at holding the shots. He’s been the best goalkeeper in MLS by a country mile. I think he’ll be given a chance, and once he’s given the chance, I don’t see him being displaced. So I see him in the long term as the number one at Chelsea.”
To be honest, we acquired an extremely capable keeper to the line between the sticks. The addition of the 23-year-old will be an enormous improvement for Chelsea in goal, and if he does well, he will undoubtedly have the prospect of becoming the team’s starting custodian. Petrovic has been too solid and has outstanding ball-stopping ability, both of which Chelsea demands as the Blues frequently concede easy goals.
Since we can see that Petroic, 23, has all the necessary characteristics to become a top custodian in the near future, Sanchez will face significant competition from the Croatian.
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But because he will be entering a league that is far more competitive than MLS, we should anticipate that it will take him some time to feel equipped to play in the Premier League. The attackers here are unforgiving and one can expect the quality of crosses and set-pieces would be a change for him here. It is a challenge he seems up for.