Chelsea will reportedly have to fend off competition from Manchester United if they are to secure the services of Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel this summer.
In late 2024, it was claimed that the Blues had registered their interest in the Switzerland international, as Enzo Maresca scopes out possible replacements for the error-strewn Robert Sanchez.
The current Chelsea number one has already made five mistakes directly leading to a goal in the current Premier League season, the joint-most of any player in the division alongside Ipswich Town's Arijanet Muric.
Sanchez failed to cover himself in glory for Erling Haaland's goal in last weekend's 3-1 loss to Manchester City, and Maresca is facing calls to drop the Spaniard for summer signing Filip Jorgensen for Monday's London derby with West Ham United.
It is unclear whether the Chelsea boss views Jorgensen as a genuine candidate for the number one jersey long-term, though, while Kobel has already proven his European nous during his rise to fame at Dortmund.
Man United 'have long-standing interest' in Kobel
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However, The Independent claims that Man United are also in the running to capture the Switzerland international, whom the Red Devils possess a 'long-standing' interest in.
Andre Onana has held the fort in between the posts for the past year and a half, having been signed by Erik ten Hag as David de Gea's successor, but he came in for stinging criticism in his first season.
As is the case with Sanchez, Onana has also been lambasted for his tendency to concede fatal errors in his own penalty area; he has made three such mistakes directly leading to a goal in the 2024-25 Premier League season.
In addition, second-choice goalkeeper Altay Bayindir has not truly convinced when given an opportunity in between the posts, although both clubs can forget about striking a late January deal.
Dortmund supposedly have no intention of letting Kobel leave before the window slams shut on Monday, as they face a crunch two-legged Champions League playoff tie with Sporting Lisbon next month and are in the bottom half of the Bundesliga table.
Nevertheless, the report adds that Man United and Chelsea will be on red alert in case Dortmund's stance changes in the summer, or if Kobel pushes to leave in the event that BVB fail to qualify for Europe.
Why might Chelsea have the edge over Man United in Kobel race?
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At 27 years old, the 6ft 5in Kobel could very well have another 15 years in him as a top-level goalkeeper, and he is said to tick a lot of boxes in terms of what Chelsea are looking for in a new number one.
Despite the threat of Man United, the Blues could supposedly possess an advantage over the Red Devils in their respective pursuits, as Maresca has fewer issues to address in other areas of the pitch than Ruben Amorim.
As a result, the report goes as far as suggesting that Chelsea could have a 'free run' at Kobel, although Dortmund can play hardball in negotiations, as the Swiss shot-stopper is under contract until 2028.
Kobel left Stuttgart to sign for Dortmund in a €15m (£12.5m) deal in 2021 and has kept 46 clean sheets in 144 matches for the Bundesliga giants, including six shut-outs en route to a Champions League runners-up medal last season.
Ben Knapton
