Chelsea Transfer News: Blues Want Kasper Schmeichel in Latest Rumours

Chelsea and AS Roma are both reportedly interested in signing Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

As reported by Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports News, the Premier League and Serie A sides may both be on the lookout for a new No. 1 this summer:

Gianluca Di Marzio reported the Blues are keen on Roma star Alisson, with their starting stopper Thibaut Courtois potentially on the move this summer.

Alisson is said to be valued at around £62 million by Roma, while Courtois only has one year left to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge.

Schmeichel would be an intriguing alternative for either Chelsea or Roma, as he's developed into a dependable option between the sticks during his time at Leicester and was key to the team's shock Premier League title triumph in 2015-16.

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The Denmark international has also enjoyed an excellent FIFA World Cup. Schmeichel was outstanding on Sunday when his nation took on Croatia, as he saved a penalty in extra time and two more in the shootout; in the end, it wasn't enough to see the Danes progress into the quarter-finals.

Manchester United and Denmark legend Peter Schmeichel posted the following on his Twitter account praising his son's display:

As these statistics illustrate, he has been able to show how effective he can be on the biggest stage in the game:

Schmeichel has grown in stature during his time at Leicester and provides a vocal presence at the base of the side.

In terms of his goalkeeping talents, he is up there with the best in the Premier League. He's agile, quick off his line and is always seeking to be dominant under the high ball. If Leicester were to lose him, he would be a difficult man to replace.

As noted by Henry Winter of The Times, the 31-year-old brings more to the team than just his shot-stopping ability:

Despite the recent performances of Schmeichel, Blues supporters would surely be expecting a bigger name to replace Courtois if the Belgian were to depart this summer.

Schmeichel can be prone to errors and lapses in concentration, albeit they are often offset by the fine saves he makes. Even so, at this point, it feels as though he would represent a downgrade on Courtois, who has proved himself consistently as an elite goalkeeper.

The Dane is a big favourite at Leicester though and given how important a figure he is at the King Power Stadium, it is likely to take a huge offer before the Foxes consider a sale.