Chelsea have supposedly accelerated their pursuit of highly-rated Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel by making contact to sign the Switzerland international.
The Blues are said to have registered their interest in a deal for Kobel amid a tricky campaign for Robert Sanchez, who has come under fire for a string of error-strewn displays this season.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion man has made five mistakes directly leading to a goal in the current Premier League campaign, the joint-most in the division alongside Arijanet Muric and Bart Verbruggen.
Number two Filip Jorgensen has also struggled to convince when given a shot in between the posts, although Enzo Maresca has kept faith in Sanchez for the time being.
However, the Spaniard's repeated shaky displays have led to suggestions that Chelsea will try to upgrade in the goalkeeping department this summer, and Kobel has long been touted as a top target.
Chelsea-linked Kobel 'on verge' of leaving Dortmund
© Imago
The latest reports from Foot Mercato claim that Chelsea have now already touched base with Kobel's representatives, but the Blues will also have to fend off the threat of Newcastle United to land him this summer.
Both Premier League clubs have supposedly been handed encouragement in their efforts to strike a deal for the 27-year-old, who is rumoured to be 'on the verge' of departing Dortmund at the end of the season.
Kobel's agents will reportedly soon land in London to hold talks with interested Premier League teams in the coming days, and Dortmund are resigned to losing their current number one when the window opens.
The German giants may be unable to resist reasonable offers given that they are at risk of missing out on European football entirely next season, only sitting seventh in the Bundesliga table at present.
However, BVB have planned ahead for Kobel's exit by striking a deal for Ajax's Diant Ramaj, thus ensuring a smooth transition ahead of a changing of the guard for the 2025-26 season.
Kobel has amassed 50 clean sheets from 160 appearances in a Dortmund shirt since joining from Stuttgart in 2021, including 10 shut-outs from 43 games across all competitions in the current campaign.
Could Kobel be part of triple Chelsea Dortmund raid?
© Imago
Should the worst come to the worst and Dortmund fail to qualify for any form of European football next season, the 2023-24 Champions League runners-up may have to sell a couple more prized assets alongside Kobel.
Key attackers Jamie Gittens and Karim Adeyemi are both likely to be at the heart of intense transfer tussles, and Chelsea have been heavily linked with a swoop for the latter over the past 12 months.
Gittens is also said to have caught the interest of Stamford Bridge chiefs in recent times, and Chelsea are said to have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of the English talent.
Ben Knapton
