Boehly holds ‘discreet’ meeting with Dortmund star’s agent as Chelsea move ahead of Man Utd, Tottenham in pursuit
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has held a meeting over a potential deal for Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, according to reports.
The Blues are currently on the hunt for a new backup option to Kepa Arrizabalaga, with Edouard Mendy likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
Now, it seems Boehly has taken Chelsea’s transfer business into his own hands once again, with Kobel attracting the interest of several Premier League rivals.
This is according to German outlet Sport1, who claim the billionaire met with Kobel’s representatives prior to the Blues’ Champions League quarter-final tie against Dortmund last week.
They add that the talks were held discreetly ahead of the second leg in London – which saw Chelsea progress to the quarter-finals – suggesting that a summer switch is becoming likely.
Kobel has impressed for the German giants since joining from Stuttgart for £12.8m in 2021, so he could prove to be a valuable addition if Mendy does leave, as expected.
However, the Blues are among several Premier League sides looking to upgrade their goalkeeper department this summer, most notably alongside Manchester United and Tottenham.
Chelsea leading the race for Kobel
This season, Kobel has maintained his spot as Dortmund’s first-choice keeper, despite competition from experienced shot-stopper Alexander Meyer.
Overall, since making the switch from Stuttgart, the 25-year-old has made 65 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga side, helping his team to 23 clean sheets in the process – which ranks him among the best-performing keepers in the division.
Kobel’s current deal at the Signal Iduna Park is set to expire in 2026, so Dortmund are under no immediate pressure to sell him anytime soon.
However, according to Transfermarkt, an offer of approximately £25m may be enough to convince the German giants to let him leave at the end of the season.
As mentioned, with Mendy looking set to depart, Kobel could prove to be a valuable addition for Graham Potter and co as Chelsea look to reassert their position at the top of the Premier League.
On the other hand, Manchester United are also arguably in need of a new keeper, with David de Gea not getting any younger, so Erik ten Hag could look to bring in Kobel as the Spaniard’s initial understudy before he gets the chance to replace him.
Tottenham are probably most desperate for a new keeper though, with Hugo Lloris expected to depart Antonio Conte’s side this summer after a successful 11-year stint at the club.
Everton’s Jordan Pickford and Brentford’s David Raya have both been linked with a switch to Spurs, but Kobel could potentially be an excellent option, too.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see which of the Premier League duo come out on top in the race for Kobel, with Chelsea currently the favourites thanks to Boehly’s front-footed approach.
