Chelsea have signed Genk and Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders from the Belgian club, MySportDab reports.
In a report shared by Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have sealed a deal worth €20m for the player, including add-ons.
Penders will not join Chelsea this summer based on the arrangement of the deal by the two clubs but after next season.
The 2005-born goalkeeper is Chelsea’s third goalkeeper signing this summer, joining the likes of Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal and Robert Sanchez, who was signed permanently this summer after an impressive loan spell with the Blues.
Penders’ deal has now taken Chelsea’s total signings this summer to nine. The London club have been the most active top club in the English top flight.
They signed Tosin Aderabioyo from Fulham, Marc Guiu from Barcelona, Caleb Wiley from from Atlanta United, Renato Veiga from Basel, Aaron Anselmino from Boca Juniors, Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa U-21, Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City.
Penders will join the list of the Blues’ overhauled goalkeeping department featuring the likes of Djordje Petrovic, Roberto Sanchez, and Filip Jorgensen.
Who is Mike Penders?
Penders is a burgeoning football goalkeeping talent. He played for Genk Academy from 2018 to 2022 when he graduated to the club’s reserve team made. He has made 34 appearances for the team and has won only one cap with Genk first team.
He is currently playing for Belgium U-19 after spells with the club’s U-17s and U-18s.