Amidst the ongoing concerns over the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Chelsea have secured the signing of Edouard Mendy from Stade Rennais. Standing tall at 6’4″, the Frenchman has been one of the most impressive shot-stoppers in the Ligue 1 in recent times.
Though Mendy has been a late bloomer, finding his fame at the age of 28, he has had his share of humble beginnings. Considering that aspect, playing at English giants Chelsea will surely be a dream come true for the keeper.
Edouard Mendy: The Goalkeeper Chelsea Needed
The Numbers and Figures Behind Mendy
Mendy kept nine clean sheets in 24 starts for Rennes last season – a clean sheet every 240 minutes on-field. Comparing this to the current Chelsea keepers, this is a very pleasing figure. Kepa kept a clean sheet every 372 minutes, while Willy Caballero went 420 minutes without conceding a goal in all competitions.
Moreover, the save percentage of Mendy puts the current crop of Chelsea keepers to shame. The new Blues’ signing had a save percentage of 78.4%, which is incredible considering Ligue 1 is known for its attacking football rather than the defensive approach like Serie A. Kepa (57.9%) and Caballero (60.5%) cannot be even put in the same bracket as Mendy in this aspect.
A very important on-field action that keepers are responsible for is the long balls during goal-kicks or otherwise. Mendy had a 51.4% long pass success rate – which is the second-best figure in the entirety of Ligue 1. Another interesting statistic is Mendy’s goal-conceding rate. The French international conceded just 0.79 goals per 90 minutes. This is one of the best figures not only in France but in the whole of Europe for goalkeepers who played more than 20 games last season.
How Edouard Mendy Has Improved Over the Years
Comparison with other players with the same skill-sets is a common parameter, but real value is displayed when there is internal development. With that being said, Mendy surely has worked on certain areas of his game over the past few years.
The keeper, who was playing in Ligue 2 three years ago, has made a 22.4% improvement in his long passing success rate over the last two seasons. Mendy has even improved upon the number of crosses that he claims in the penalty area. This is surely something Chelsea will be really interested in because the Londoners have been suffering at set-pieces for quite some time.
The new Blues’ shot-stopper claimed an average of 10.2 crosses that were hurled into the penalty area by the opposition last season. This is a real upgrade over his average figure of 7.9 claims in 2018/19. Not to amplify his capabilities, but Mendy even made 16.7 claims in his last game for Rennes a week ago.
The French Trio at Chelsea
Thiago Silva has already been snapped up by Chelsea this summer. Kurt Zouma has been a pivotal figure in the rebuild of the Chelsea defence since Lampard was appointed head coach. Now, Edouard Mendy joins the party. The connection between the three? All three of them can communicate fluently in French.
This is important because communication is the key for success between the centre-back duo and the goalkeeper at any club. With the French connection in place now, it will be really interesting to see how the club develops defensively over the coming years.
Not only that, but Silva, Zouma and Mendy are all very experienced in dealing with aerial situations, something Chelsea clearly lacked in the last season. This will be a good pairing at the back for the club. There is no doubt, though, that it will take some time to build the chemistry between the three players. Nevertheless, Edouard Mendy does tick all the boxes for Chelsea.
Main Photo
