Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders has secured a season-long loan to Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg, confirmed by the Blues on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Belgian prospect will play the 25/26 season in France, as part of his continued development at Chelsea’s multi-club BlueCo network.
The highly-rated youngster will join up with Strasbourg at their preseason training camp in Austria, and a strong chance of regular first-team action between the posts.
A key move within the BlueCo pathway
Penders joined Chelsea from Genk in January 2025 for about €20m, but stayed with the Belgian team until the end of that season. He played 26 times across all competitions in that latter end of the season and continued to consolidate his position as one of the Belgium’s hottest young goalkeeping prospects.
The transfer to Strasbourg – who Chelsea is implementing its multi-club model with across the world, under the BlueCo umbrella as well – is considered to be an important one to make next season. With Djordje Petrovic departing the club permanently this summer, there’s an open door for Penders to become the number one at City now. The loan provides him with a chance to acclimatize to a top European league while remaining under Chelsea’s close scrutiny and coaching supervision.
Big season ahead in Ligue 1
Chelsea announced that Mike Penders will link up with Strasbourg straight away, and fellow Blues loanee Kendry Páez will join him in Austria later this week. The club are hopeful that regular game time in Ligue 1 will see the teenager develop into a long term option at Stamford Bridge.
It’s Chelsea’s seventh departure on loan for the summer, as new head coach Enzo Maresca continues to remodel the squad. For Penders, the objective is obvious— make the most of the opportunity, develop in goal under the spotlight and then eventually return to Chelsea ready to prove he can play on the grandest of stages.
As featured on Chelseanews.com
