Under-fire Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has rejected the offer of a new contract.
The 30-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge two years ago and quickly established himself as the club’s No.1 after his signing was recommended by club legend Petr Cech.
Mendy played a key role in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph under Thomas Tuchel and was part of the Senegal side that claimed a maiden Africa Cup of Nations victory earlier this year.
The former Nice star’s form has dipped at the start of this season, however, but the Blues remain keen to tie Mendy to a new long-term deal.
According to The Evening Standard, however, Mendy has turned down an opening offer said to be inferior to the £190,000-a-week salary current No.2 and former club-record signing Kepa Arrizabalaga earns.
Addressing Mendy’s form, meanwhile, ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash against Dinamo Zagreb, Thomas Tuchel said: ‘I think it’s a very sensitive position in football in general — and it’s not everything that’s just pure quality and only about decision-making.
‘It’s also about the feeling and the feeling that you feel the confidence and sometimes it’s a bit of also having the luck.
‘Somebody sent me an interesting quote about Napoleon, who asked his generals if they should not only have the best quality, but he needs also that they are lucky generals.
‘So, this is what you need also from leaders and from goalkeepers, and that they have the kind of momentum that if they do a little mistake, it’s not punished.
‘Now, he gets punished a lot for not a lot of what he does wrong, but there are no doubts in my mind.
‘The situation is calm. We have two fantastic goalkeepers, two fantastic guys. We are aware of it that [Mendy] is in that kind of situation, but first, we deal inside and then we tell you.’
And while Tuchel is preaching calm, former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand fears Mendy’s recent performances should be cause for concern.
Ferdinand, speaking on Vibe with Five, said: ‘I think the biggest thing for Chelsea from this game is Edouard Mendy is becoming far too involved in situations like this.
‘Against Leeds, he was at fault for the first goal. This one as well. There’s been other occasions where he’s made mistakes and hasn’t been punished.
‘They need to iron that out quick because he was brilliant last season, he was phenomenal.
‘He needs to eradicate those mistakes from his game. You don’t want to be in the news as a goalkeeper. The less you talk about them the better they’re doing. At the moment he’s also in the news.’
MORE : Mateo Kovacic backs Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for huge season with Chelsea
MORE : David Seaman slams Edouard Mendy for faking injury to held Chelsea beat West Ham
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