Chelsea believe their loanee is 'close to being ready' for Premier League | OneFootball

Chelsea would only allow Filip Jorgensen to leave in January if they received a lucrative offer, since they have another plan for on-loan Mike Penders, according to reports.

There have been rumours that Jorgensen is considering leaving Chelsea in January in search of regular football.

The goalkeeper reportedly believes that by moving to a club where he could play regularly, it would boost his chance of becoming a starter for Denmark, who are still fighting for a spot in the 2026 World Cup.

Head coach Enzo Maresca even had to respond to these rumours, claiming he has not had any conversations with Jorgensen recently.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are unlikely to agree to the goalkeeper's January exit.

IMAGO / Ulrich Hufnagel

"Chelsea's position is that they're not planning to loan out Jorgensen," Jacobs told The Football Terrace.

"They're happy with their goalkeepers' depth.

"Were Jorgensen to go, it would be likely that somebody would have to significantly surpass the £21m paid (to Villarreal), and Chelsea would have to find a suitable goalkeeper or recall Mike Penders."

Jacobs, however, pointed out that Penders is currently having a great season on loan at Strasbourg, playing regularly and competing in Europe in the Conference League.

"If they brought him back to Chelsea, Robert Sanchez would likely still be the number one, and Penders' pathway might be stifled," he added.

"So, Chelsea are quite protective of that."

IMAGO / PsnewZ

This does not mean Chelsea do not trust Penders to be part of their goalkeeping options for the second half of the season, however.

Instead, Jacobs argued that instead, Chelsea want him to continue gaining experience on loan before returning next summer.

"With Mike Penders, Chelsea think he's close to being ready for Premier League football," the journalist explained.

"That's the belief when they signed him.

"When he comes back to Chelsea next summer, yeah, I expect Mike Penders to challenge Rob Sanchez for the number one."

As mentioned, Penders is having a remarkable season at Strasbourg, who currently sit fifth in the Ligue 1 table.

The 20-year-old has featured in 12 of Strasbourg's league matches and has so far kept five clean sheets, the second-most in Ligue 1.