Aston Villa 'eyeing' bold transfer raid for £25m goalkeeper branded 'next Petr Cech'

Aston Villa have expressed a strong desire to strengthen their goalkeeping department with a move for a talented young shot-stopper, who has been hailed as the ‘next Peter Cech’

The Villans are widely reported to be keeping tabs on Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic following his stellar season out on loan at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.

Petrovic, 25, has made 27 appearances for the BlueCo-owned club this season and has been one of the standout goalkeepers in French football throughout the campaign, keeping 10 clean sheets(the second highest in the division) while conceding just 31 goals in the matches he has played.

The Serbian joined a side that had finished the previous season in 13th position out of 18 teams and his now playing an integral role in helping the club to an unlikely European push in Liam Rosenior’s first campaign in charge.

Aston Villa battle Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen in Petrovic race

Football Insider claim that Aston Villa are likely to battle Italian heavyweights Juventus and German giants Bayer Leverkusen for the signature of Djordje Petrovic.

The outlet understands that although the 25-year-old is set to return to Stamford Bridge in time for the upcoming Club World Cup, he faces an uncertain future in the capital, with the club already being well stocked in goal with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.

Petrovic played 31 times across all competitions in his first season at Chelsea, keeping seven clean sheets and conceding 44 times, but that was under Mauricio Pochettino before Enzo Maresca sent him to France to gain experience.

Why Aston Villa want Djordje Petrovic

Aston Villa already has one of the best goalkeepers in world football in their ranks in the form of Emiliano Martinez, who was named the world’s best goalkeeper once again by FIFA for 2024.

The 32-year-old has been a pivotal part of Villa’s rise up the table in recent seasons, but his performances at times have come under the spotlight by some sections of the support. With Robin Olsen, 35, set to depart on a free this summer, it’s also clear that Villa lack depth in the goalkeeping department and would need further cover if the Argentine was to pick up an injury.

Djordje Petrovic could offer Villa a perfect solution to the problem and could potentially become the long-term successor to Martinez based on recent hype around him. Kevin Hitchock, a former Blues goalkeeper and the current goalkeeping coach at New England Revolution, worked closely with Petrovic in the MLS and described the 6ft 4 in Serb as someone with the qualities to succeed Peter Cech.

He told the Telegraph in 2024: “Chelsea have been crying out for someone since Petr Cech. They’ve been crying out for a solid No 1. Before Petr was Carlo Cudicini. They’re big gloves to fill and I don’t think Chelsea have done very well in that department for the last six or seven years. Djordje does remind me of Petr, actually. Petr was a fantastic goalkeeper and he won a lot of games for Chelsea. Without a shadow of a doubt, Djordje can be a really top goalkeeper for a long time as well.”

BBC Sport understands Chelsea are seeking a figure of around £25m for Petrovic, which is expensive for a back-up goalkeeper, but potentially a hugely beneficial signing for Villa moving forward.

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