Chelsea and Newcastle in Alphonse Areola transfer fight with Lampard keen on new keeper over Kepa fears
CHELSEA and Newcastle are competing for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, according to reports in France.
The 27-year-old has spent the season on loan at Real Madrid as cover for first choice Thibaut Courtois.
But Areola has now returned to the Parc des Princes – with PSG keen to sell in order to raise funds for a summer overhaul.
The Ligue 1 champions will need to bring in some new faces this summer with the likes of Thiago Silva leaving on a free – with Arsenal linked.
Areola has been with the serial French champions since he was 13-years-old and has helped them win ten domestic trophies.
But PSG have sent the France international out on a series of loans, to Lens, Bastia, Villarreal and most recently Los Blancos.
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Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is in the hunt for a new keeper this summer, with the futures of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero uncertain.
Not for the first time, £71.6million buy Kepa had a shocker in the Blues’ 3-2 loss at West Ham on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Newcastle are expected to invest massively in new talent with their future investors set to provide a vast influx of funds.
Arsenal were recently linked with a move for Areola, who was an unused part of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018.
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French outlet Le 10 Sport claims Chelsea and Newcastle officials could make formal approaches for Paris-born Areola in the next few weeks.
The keeper is understood to favour a move to the Premier League, despite having three years left on his PSG contract.
Capped three times at senior level by France, he was approached to play for the Philippines in 2011 with his parents hailing from the south-east Asian country.