According to reports, Chelsea have made an approach for the goalkeeper of Spanish club Villarreal, Filip Jorgensen. The 22-year-old earned a starting spot in the team last season, and helped his team get to the eighth position in La Liga. Villarreal tied him down to a new contract with a release clause of £33.6m which will expire in 2029.
An inquiry has been set in motion, with the Denmark Under-21 international highlighted as someone who could come on board to bolster their ranks between the sticks for many years to come.
Who is Filip Jorgensen?
Sweden-born Jorgensen started his youth career at Malmo and moved to Spain when he was 12. He spent his academy days mostly in Spain with a brief return to Malmo. He completed a move out to Spain again on a permanent basis in 2016, linking up with Mallorca’s youth team for one season – only to leave and sign for Villarreal in the following campaign. For the past two seasons, Chelsea have seemingly developed a new policy of signing just young players.
Jorgensen is viewed as a perfect match for the system of Enzo Maresca, given his ability on the ball. For even a goalkeeper’s standards, he possesses really sharp reflexes. Although Villarreal conceded over 60 and managed only six clean sheets in the 2023/24 season, they would have been in for more suffering if not for him. Jorgensen made as many as 143 saves in La Liga that season. In addition to his shot-stopping abilities, Jorgensen excels as a ball-playing goalkeeper. At 22 years old, his passing range was crucial for Villarreal throughout the 2023/24 season. He completed over 1,000 passes and averaged 44.7 successful passes per 90 minutes.
New Chelsea boss, Enzo Maresca intends to apply a possession-based playstyle. Jorgensen could be the perfect for initiating movements from the back. However, the lack of clean sheets is a concern, likely due to Villarreal’s defensive issues.
Another area of concern is Jorgensen’s command of his penalty area. Although he is only 22, he struggles with set pieces and aerial balls, stopping just 5.2% of crosses into his box at Villarreal. This is an aspect of his game that needs improvement.
Jorgensen rose through the youth ranks and endured a first senior season being a backup goalkeeper to earn a starting spot in his team last season. Since then, he has been a key player for the Yellow Submarine, helping them almost qualify for Europe next season. His impressive performances earned him a new five-year contract at the end of the season. One of Jorgensen’s biggest strengths is his ball distribution. Most of his long ball serves find his teammates in the outfield. His one-handed saves, often with a flair for the dramatic, are reminiscent of David De Gea.
Chelsea’s Struggle with Goalkeeping
Last summer, Chelsea spent £40m behind Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic. However, the goalkeeper situation is still uncertain and Kepa is likely to leave. The arrival of Maresca will likely see Sanchez now return as number one keeper ahead of Petrovic who could be on his way out if they bring in another goalkeeper. Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili – who has had a great spell at Euro 2024 was linked with the Blues this summer too alongside Burnley James Trafford.
Sanchez moved to Stamford Bridge after losing his spot to Jason Steele at Brighton. Mauricio Pochettino recognised the goalkeeper’s key attributes and gave him the no.1 spot. But a midseason injury saw him sidelined for almost the rest of the season and opened the doors for Petrovic. The Spaniard’s occasional callousness was an underlying explanation to his inability to return as the main goalkeeper under the Argentine. Petrovic, too, lost his form after a few good games. The Serbian national could be loaned out with what looks like an imminent arrival of Jorgensen.
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