Chelsea are set to sign former AC Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia according to The Guardian. The Blues are apparently in the market for an experienced backup goalkeeper for Asmir Begovic.
Thibaut Courtois is out with a knee injury and won’t see the field for a few months. Begovic has done a brilliant job deputizing the Belgian but represents the only other experienced goalkeeper in the squad. The backup has been Jamal Blackman, a young Englishman who is largely unproven, especially at the highest level.
Chelsea were linked with FC Porto’s Helton in the past, but Mourinho categorically denied such interest on the basis that he would not be available in time.
Helton has a contract with Porto and would only be available in January, by then, Courtois will be available again.
Amelia, the former Italian international has nine caps and was part of the squad which won the 2006 World Cup. His last appearance was six years ago, and was recently linked with a move to Arsenal as a backup. However, after David Ospina agreed to stay at the Emirates Stadium, the move fell through.
At the beginning of the season, Chelsea named 19 players over 21 in their 25-man Premier League squad. Five of those players are considered “homegrown”. Meaning they would be able to apply to register a free agent outside of the transfer window.
While I admit that I would be nervous if Begovic went down, and the Blues were forced to have Blackman between the sticks, I am not sold on Amelia’s reputation. Amelia made just 41 appearances for the Italian side AC Milan during a four-year stint, before exiting last year. The Italian international continued his career at an amateur club in Serie B and was released at the end of the campaign.
Chelsea do need a capable deputy for Asmir Begovic. That is for certain. However, I a skeptical that Amelia is the man for the job. It would be interesting to see if Blackman were up to the task and should at least be tried in a match here and there, if only to allow Begovic a rest. Perhaps in the League Cup, the Emirates Cup, or against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the return fixture.
