With Kepa set to depart, Chelsea need a new keeper; Jan Oblak or Andre Onana?
Both goalkeepers are worth acquiring for Chelsea; Jan Oblak is a Portuguese treble winner, along with Athletico’s Super Cup victory versus Real a few years ago. He is currently at a different level than Andre Onana, but Onana does have some unique upside to him as well.
After the FA Cup final loss to Arsenal, Chelsea find themselves with a goalkeeper in Kepa Arrizabalaga who must go. Willy Caballero has proven he has greater trust from Frank Lampard than the most expensive goalkeeper in history; while the defense could use improvement as well, one of these two men will likely find themselves at Stamford Bridge sooner than later.
For Chelsea, a club for which money never seems as issue, who is the better fit?
Jan Oblak: Madrid’s man, but for how much longer?
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Jan Oblak is a great goalkeeper; that is not news to anyone who has paid attention to European football within recent memory. At Athletico Madrid, he has proven time and time again his skill behind tough defenses and sometimes paltry scoring tally’s.
He has never wavered, nor has he ever pointed the blame at anyone; truly, Diego Simeone has a class act, and he knows it to be sure. But Oblak’s Madrid are eternally fighting for third place against Real Madrid and Barcelona domestically; while they have had great sides down the years, they simply aren’t as consistently competitive, to as high a level, as the other two.
Chelsea meanwhile, are full of young talent, rich coffers and are already closer to challenging the top tier of English football than say, Tottenham Hotspur. For Oblak, this might be a real possibility for more consistent Champions League success, as well as the bevy of trophies available in the Premier League.
Andre Onana: More youth to the party
While Jan Oblak is the more proven commodity, likely the more expensive one as well, Andre Onana is younger, with a higher upside and potentially greater capacity overall.
At Ajax, he has grown into the best goalkeeper in the Netherlands without question; after just nearly losing out on a Champions League final birth, the last season was more disappointing than many expected.
Between the season ending without a champion and the early European exit before that, the whole team in Amsterdam have had to humble themselves after the remarkable story of the year prior.
But this shouldn’t deter from the notion that Onana is a stud goalkeeper and alongside the other youth at Chelsea, he has the potential to influence the club for years to come.
His ball skills are what excites those in Amsterdam as well as London; when Ajax was rolling most efficiently with Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, Andre Onana was a force for the club in net. His athleticism was second to none, a trait Chelsea will be banking on over experience were they to choose him over Oblak.
For Chelsea then, its a matter of time frame and patience; who will be the better goalkeeper long term? For me, taking in all of the facets, the conclusion is clear.
Andre Onana: A better fit economically, as well as practically
Jan Oblak is the better goalkeeper today; he has better technical skills and a more refined pedigree from his hands to his footwork, but how much longer will he be the better goalkeeper? While the age difference is only three years, that might be massive for Chelsea in the long term.
Oblak has already played in some massive games, and been great in net for years; Onana is both hungry, as well as three years Oblak’s junior. Additionally, he has seen less wear on his body, less exertion and will be cheaper to boot.
For Chelsea, money will have to be taken into consideration eventually; Onana can provide them what they need at Stamford Bridge, while still giving them the financial room to provide Onana some protection. Without that, it will not matter who suits up in net for Chelsea this upcoming campaign, but signing either Andre Onana, Jan Oblak, or even Nick Pope, is a great start.