Football News: Chelsea announces long-term contract with 30-year-old Goalkeeper

Chelsea have announced that goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli has signed a new long-term contract with the club. Bettinelli joined Stamford Bridge in 2021 after spending most of his career at London rivals Fulham.

When he joined the Blues, Bettinelli accepted that he would be a third-stringer behind Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy. The 30-year-old has only made one senior appearance so far for the former Premier League champions.

The only game played by Bettinelli in the Blues shirt was 5-1 win over Chesterfield in the FA Cup third round in January 22. It was expected that Bettinelli would slip further down the pecking order or leave the club.

However, Bettinellihas now committed his future to Chelsea, extending his stay until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Bettinelli revealed this to the club's official website.

"It is a privilege to be at a club like Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and a couple of years ago when I signed I was delighted to be here, delighted to sign."

"To be here now and see the club going through this transition and seeing what we are developing, it is amazing to be a part of and I am buzzing to be here for an extra couple of years."

The deal comes at a time when there is still conjecture about the fates of Arrizabalaga and Mendy. Moreover, there might be chances of a possible entrance of a new number one.

As per sources, Mendy is reportedly opposed to signing a new contract with the club. Thus, this could lead to the Senegal international being sold during the summer transfer window.

While Arrizabalaga is now the established number one under Graham Potter, it's unclear whether the Spanish international will stay there in the long run.

Nevertheless, despite having previously represented the United States at the age of 18, Slonina is viewed as a potential star and could be considered for a loan period away from Chelsea in 2023-24.

Bettinelli's position on the bench for Saturday's Premier League match against Aston Villa may be jeopardised now that Mendy has recovered from a fractured finger.

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