Chelsea have turned down an opening bid from Bournemouth for goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
It is reported that Eddie Howe’s sides first offer for Begovic is in the region of 10m, although Chelsea gaffer Antonio Conte may want to keep hold of the Bosnian keeper as backup to Thibaut Courtois as they look to clinch the Premier League crown.
Begovic finds game time with Chelsea hard to come by, with Courtious firmly established as Chelsea’s number 1, and more game time with Bournemouth may be a tempting prospect for the Bosnian.
While Chelsea may be reluctant to let go of their second choice keeper, but for the right price they may find themselves tempted to sell.
Begovic is still only 29-years-old, and still has a good amount of years left in him, and the stopper may feel a move away is best for his career.
The stopper has played for Portsmouth, Ipswich, Yeovil, and most notably Stoke City in the past.
Begovic is known to speak German and French fluently as well as English, so a move abroad is also a potential option if Chelsea eventually agree to let him move on from West London.
Reports are suggesting that Chelsea will hold out for at least 12m if they do decide to sell, which Bournemouth did not believe was a fair fee when they original enquired about the keepers availability last summer.
If Begovic did join the Cherries, he would still face competition from Artur Boruc – but Boruc is now 36, and Bournemouth’s second choice keeper Adam Federici is 31 meaning Begovic could well be seen as an upgrade on the current keeper options they have.
Begovic has been restricted to playing in cup competitions with his last appearance for Chelsea coming in the 4-1 FA Cup win over Peterborough on January 8th.
If Begovic is to go, Chelsea have 34-year-old Portugal international Eduardo Carvalho, wh is yet to make a first team appearance for the Blues, so they may look for a suitable replacement before allowing Begovic to leave Stamford Bridge.
