‘Mendy has been the star signing for Chelsea’ – Big-spending Blues had to replace Kepa, admits Minto

Chelsea invested heavily in all areas of the field over the summer, but Scott Minto says Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has already become “the star signing” for Frank Lampard.

Roman Abramovich broke open the chequebook again at Stamford Bridge during the last transfer window.

Lampard was freed to bolster his ranks from back to front, with big money splashed out on the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Hakim Ziyech.

Mendy was among the last through the door in west London, with the 28-year-old snapped up from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes.

Minto admits to being left surprised by how long it took Chelsea to land a new No.1, with it clear for some time that £71 million ($93m) man Kepa Arrizabalaga was no longer up to the task.

Mendy has shown through his early outings that he can be the reliable option Lampard is crying out for, with his meteoric rise to prominence seeing him become a key figure for Premier League title hopefuls.

Former Blues defender Minto told talkSPORT of the value found in a busy market: “If you had said to me at the end of last season that Chelsea could only make one signing – and obviously they have made quite a lot and spent a good amount of money – I would have said it would be in goal.

“I’m surprised it took this long to get Edouard Mendy in – only the hierarchy at Chelsea know why.

“Even when Kepa has had chances this season, I think he has looked shaky and he has made mistakes.

“I can tell you as a full-back that when you have got a really strong, confident goalkeeper who will come out and make good saves, it gives you confidence yourself.

“I would say so far, and I love the look of Ziyech as well, that Edouard Mendy – with five clean sheets in six games – has been the star signing at the moment.

“The confidence he gives is what Chelsea needed. They needed clean sheets, that is what they are getting at the moment, and now they can concentrate on going forward because they have got so much talent there.”

Leaks at the back had threatened to undermine Chelsea’s efforts in 2020-21, with Lampard initially struggling to address a long-standing problem, but Mendy has helped to deliver a reversal in fortune and will have the Blues looking to extend an impressive unbeaten run when they play host to Sheffield United on Saturday.