Chelsea are confident of securing a deal for Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, sources have told ESPN, with talks ongoing over a deal likely to be worth an initial £18 million.

That could rise to as much as £25m as the Premier League club look to find a new No. 1 to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga.

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Kepa, who joined Chelsea for €80m, a world-record for a goalkeeper, in 2018, looks set to stay at the club as they struggle to find a buyer and also because he wants to stay and fight for his place.

It has been reported that Chelsea technical director Petr Cech is behind the deal to sign Mendy, who helped Rennes finish third in Ligue 1 last season with the joint-second-best defensive record in the division.

Mendy, 28, would become Chelsea's seventh major signing of the summer following the arrivals of Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Malang Sarr, Thiago Silva and Kai Havertz.

Chelsea have backed head coach Frank Lampard as they look to improve on last season's fourth-place finish.