Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders, recently signed by Chelsea from Genk for around £16.7m, expressed his surprise at the club’s interest last summer and is eager to begin his new chapter at Stamford Bridge, despite the unexpected nature of the move.
In an exclusive interview with Belgian publication De Morgen, 19-year-old Mike Penders revealed that he was completely taken aback when he first learned of Chelsea’s interest, stating, “I didn’t see it coming – Chelsea and PSG are not the smallest clubs.” Initially, Chelsea emerged as the clear frontrunner in a summer bid that outmatched Paris Saint-Germain, agreeing on a deal valued at approximately €20m (£16.7m) for the talented Genk goalkeeper. Although the club decided it was best for his development to remain at Genk for the current season, Penders is set to complete his move to Chelsea at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Penders, who began the season as Genk’s second-choice keeper and has since established himself as the club’s number one with seven starts in the Belgian Pro League, acknowledged that Chelsea had been closely tracking his progress throughout his time at Jong Genk. He emphasised that the club’s decision wasn’t based on a handful of first-team appearances, but rather on an in-depth, season-long observation of his potential. Standing tall at 6ft 7in and already capped seven times by Belgium’s Under-19 team, Penders’ move is seen as a strategic acquisition by Chelsea, especially as the club looks to bolster its goalkeeping options given the recent struggles of Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.
