Chelsea are on the verge of completing a transfer deal for Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrović, according to a tweet from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

He will undergo medical tests at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday – when this is complete, the Blues will be free to confirm the deal officially.

According to an article on BBC Sport, Chelsea will pay Petrovic’s current club, New England Revolution, £12.5 million plus an extra £1.5 million in additional fees.

In Romano’s tweet, he wrote: “Djordje Petrović to Chelsea, here we go! Verbal agreement in place with New England Revolution on €16m deal. Medical tests booked on Wednesday for the Serbian goalkeeper who’s gonna compete with Robert Sanchez.”

Do Chelsea need another goalkeeper in their squad?

Following the departures of Kepa Arrizabalaga to Real Madrid and Edouard Mendy to Al Ahli, not to mention an injury sustained by Marcus Bettinelli, Chelsea need to add another ‘keeper to their ranks.

As things stand, their only senior team goalkeeper who is currently available for selection is Robert Sanchez. While the Spaniard is a fine ‘keeper, should he suffer an injury, it would leave the Blues all at sea between the sticks.

Therefore, the acquisition of Petrovic makes perfect sense. He is a high-quality goalkeeper – but whether he is a superior option to Robert Sanchez remains to be seen.

He has plenty of senior team experience, having played in 43 MLS games for New England Revolution – he also has a pair of international caps for his native Serbia under his belt.

Will Petrovic start over Robert Sanchez?

As per Romano’s tweet, it seems that Petrovic and Sanchez will be in direct competition with each other for the number one shirt at Stamford Bridge.

Due to this, it seems that Mauricio Pochettino does not prefer one goalkeeper over the other – should one of them experience a rich vein of form, however, this could change.

Sanchez has looked like a decent (not to mention relatively inexpensive) signing since he joined the Blues in the summer transfer window. Nevertheless, a bit of healthy competition should spur him – and Petrovic – to perform at the peak of their abilities on a consistent basis.

Check out our documentary on the rise of Luton Town before their game against Chelsea at the weekend, featured on Shots TV.