Premier League club Chelsea have signed Belgium U-21 shot-stopper and Genk youth star Mike Penders from the Belgian club.
The 19-year-old looked impressive during his time in the youth ranks of the Belgian club, much before he led Belgium at U-19 and U-21 levels.
He was somewhat of an unknown quantity in Belgium elite football scene but a highly-rated talent, making waves at the youth level in the country. Penders has reportedly signed a long-term contract with the Blues.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have sealed a €10m deal plus add-ons for the 19-year-old. The report adds Penders will not join the Premier League outfit this summer but after next season.
Penders is Chelsea’s third goalkeeper signing this summer joining the likes of Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen on the Blues’ goalkeeping options, who have penned down permanent contracts with the London outfit this summer.
Overall, he is the Blues ninth signing this summer, joining the likes of Tosin Aderabioyo from Fulham, Marc Guiu from Barcelona, Caleb Wiley from Atlanta United, and others.
Who is Mike Penders?
Mike Louis Penders (born 31 July 2005) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Jong Genk in the Challenger Pro League. Penders is making relentless progress toward his nascent career and has come into recognition through some skillful displays and leadership on the field.
Mike Penders Career
While still fresh in his professional career, Penders has already given a glimpse of his ability. Penders began his football career with Boorsem Sport, before moving to the youth setup at Bregel Sport. After some impressive displays, he found himself moving to the Genk academy in 2018.
He quickly impressed the coaches, and on 30 April 2021, he inked his first professional contract with Genk. Penders extended his deal on 25 May 2022, effectively pinning himself to the club until 2025.
In 2022, Penders was promoted to Genk’s reserve team, Jong Genk, where he would don the captaincy—an indication of leadership at such a young age. Such inspiring performances by him earned him another contract extension on 23 August 2023, which would keep him at the club until 2028.
On the 28th of July 2024, Penders made his senior team debut for Genk in the Belgian Pro League against Standard Liège, which ended 0–0. For him, at just 18 years and 363 days, it was a milestone as he is rated among the third-youngest goalkeepers to make a league debut ever.
Mike Penders’ Career Stats
Given Penders’ young age and limited senior exposure, his career statistics are not weighty. On this, he has been counted to have kept 7 clean sheets in 39 games while conceding 59 goals across all competitions.
Mike Penders’ Contract
Penders has agreed a long-term contract with Chelsea. Penders is reportedly going to join the Blues for a fee of £17 million, agreeing a deal that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2032. However, based on the arrangement of the deal, he will spend next season back on loan at Genk before returning to Stamford Bridge next summer.
