Chelsea's Mike Penders joins Strasbourg on loan
The Athletic reported on July 22 that Penders was set to join Strasbourg, alongside defender Mamadou Sarr, who arrived at Chelsea from the French side earlier this summer.
The Premier League side agreed a deal in advance to sign Penders from Genk last summer, with the 19-year-old joining up with his new side ahead of the Club World Cup campaign in the United States. He did not play a minute, acting as third choice behind Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.
Penders is expected to become Strasbourg's No 1 for the 2025-26 campaign, effectively replacing Djordje Petrovic, who spent last season on loan with Liam Rosenior's side from Chelsea before joining Bournemouth permanently earlier this month.
Penders, who stands at 6ft 7in (200cm), began last season as first choice for the Genk Under-21s, who play in the Belgian second tier, before becoming the first-team goalkeeper in January. He ended the season with 25 first-team appearances.
The Belgian has also represented his country at youth level, playing up to under-19s.
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Strasbourg are also controlled by BlueCo, the holding company which owns Chelsea. FIFA rules permit only three players be loaned between clubs with such arrangements.
Rosenior's side will play Conference League football next season after finishing seventh in 2024-25. Petrovic was voted as their player of the season after keeping 10 clean sheets in 31 Ligue 1 appearances.
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