Rennes captain Damien Da Silva has all but confirmed that goalkeeper Edouard Mendy will be moving to Chelsea.

Reports suggest that the Blues and the Ligue One club are close to agreeing an initial £18m fee for the 28-year-old, with add-ons making the final amount closer to £25m, and Da Silva says the shot-stopper will be missed if the departure is confirmed:

“We are a little selfish, we don’t want to lose Edouard Mendy but it’s part of football and the transfer market. He’s a great goalkeeper who deserves what happens to him.”

With Chelsea playing their first game of the season against Brighton on Monday, there is every chance that Mendy could be in goal for the game at the Amex Stadium.

The Senegalese international is believed to have been recommended by Petr Cech, who spent two seasons at Rennes before joining Chelsea. The London club’s technical and performance advisor appears to have been keeping a close eye on his old club.

Where the prospective signing of Mendy leaves current number one Kepa Arrizabalaga, though, it remains to be seen. The Spaniard could well be offloaded before the end of the transfer window.