Chelsea’s transfer strategy has been hit and miss in recent years, and they could be set to make another blunder
To be honest, Chelsea is hardly the first team that comes to mind when it comes to making sound transfer judgments. Since BlueCo took over three years ago, they’ve bought and sold at will, smashing spending records and frequently bringing in players who don’t live up to their high prices. In short, they’ve made several blunders.
With the announcement that they’re expected to sell goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović to Premier League rivals Bournemouth for a cost that might grow as high as £25 million, one wonders if they’re making another mistake. Given the Serbian stopper’s performance last year, it appears to be an interesting decision.
Petrović was given the opportunity to be Chelsea’s number one in the 2023/24 season, but declined. Despite uncertainty surrounding the number one jersey, should the Blues have kept Petrović, or is Bournemouth taking a chance?
Why Djordje Petrović deserved a second chance with Chelsea
Chelsea’s decision to transfer Petrović, pending negotiations on price and personal terms, is likely due to his dismal performance in 22 league starts during the 2023/24 season. It is not an unreasonable defence at all.
During his brief stint as Chelsea’s temporary goalkeeper, Petrović conceded 6.7 more goals than predicted, had a low save percentage of 65.7%, and struggled against high balls. He hadn’t been at Stamford Bridge long after joining from the New England Revolution, but he didn’t give his team many reasons to keep him.
As a result, the 25-year-old was loaned out to Chelsea’s sister club RC Strasbourg, out of sight and out of mind – except that he ended up performing admirably in France, and suddenly appeared to be the goalie Chelsea hoped to sign in the first place.
His save percentage skyrocketed to 78.9%, the second highest in Ligue 1 behind Lens’ Brice Samba, and instead of conceding more goals than projected, he actually blocked ten more than the shooting opportunities that fell to opposing players suggested he should have.
His stats improved across the board, his mistakes decreased significantly, and he appeared to be a top-level goalie. That is the player Bournemouth believe they are buying: a fantastic shot-stopper who commands his area and allows little to pass him. At £25 million, the Strasbourg version of Petrović is a worthwhile investment.
Chelsea’s desire to spend means they must make sacrifices to keep the cash flowing. If they’re getting a fair price for Petrović, he’s more disposable than most of the players they’ll consider selling this summer.
Robert Sánchez’s proclivity for disastrous errors may have exaggerated public perception of how bad he is (he finished the 2024/25 season with the league’s best save percentage), but he hasn’t convinced, especially with the ball at his feet, where he frequently looks like he’s wearing oversized clown shoes. Enzo Maresca does not appear to be totally certain about Filip Jörgensen. It may have been a good idea to give Petrović another chance to make his case for removing the gloves permanently. They could have at least seen how he performed in the preseason before making a decision.
Petrović proved himself worthy of a second chance during his loan spell. As it stands, if he is good enough for the Premier League, Bournemouth will benefit.
Will Petrović help Bournemouth to improve next season?
This is, without a doubt, a huge summer for Bournemouth that will have a significant impact on their immediate future – having lost Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, with other star players likely to follow, can they continue to look like a team on the right track and heading towards European qualification?
Last season, another undesired Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, held down the fort at the back and did an admirable job, enough to encourage Arsenal to sign him as David Raya’s backup. With Huijsen and Kerkez gone, and Ilya Zabarnyi potentially joining, the next Bournemouth goalkeeper may face a far more difficult assignment.
Petrović’s impressive performance in the air last season may be vital. With Kerkez gone and Huijsen’s height no longer available, the Cherries may be more vulnerable to crosses. Petrović is two inches taller than Kepa and dealt with almost 40% more crosses successfully than the Spaniard did last season.
Petrović excels at sweeping up balls over the top, a crucial skill for Andoni Iraola’s attacking high line. In short, he appears to be a terrific fit for Bournemouth’s style of play.
The question is whether he can maintain his Strasbourg form in England, or if he will revert to the unimpressive displays we saw at Stamford Bridge over a year earlier. If it is the former, Bournemouth will have made an excellent purchase.
This is a team that, unlike Chelsea, seldom makes poor transfer market investments and has found methods to continually strengthen their team since regaining promotion to the Premier League. History implies that Bournemouth is more likely to be correct than Chelsea.
Perhaps Sánchez, Jörgensen, or other newly-signed goalkeepers play well enough that it doesn’t matter, and the Blues can point to a profit of over £10m on Petrović as important in helping them buy another exciting player who improves them elsewhere on the game. Perhaps this move works nicely for both parties involved. However, if you were to wager on which team would be happier in a year, Bournemouth appears to be the wise choice.
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