Chelsea announced the signing of Djordje Petrovic on Saturday 26th August after agreeing a deal with New England Revolution.
The Major League Soccer side accepted a £14m bid from the Blues, and the Serbia international will now compete with Robert Sanchez for the No.1 shirt after Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy departed.
So, what is there to know about Djordje Petrovic? The Chelsea Chronicle sat down with New England Revolution journalist Seth Macomber to learn all about the precocious glovesman…
What kind of goalkeeper is Djordje Petrovic? What are his best traits?
“I was lucky enough to interview Ilja Stolica around the time that Djordje Petrovic joined the Revolution. Stolica – a former Revs player who helped with the move to New England – was serving as the coach of the Serbian National Team when Petrovic got his first cap.
“Stolica called Petrovic a real goalkeeper who isn’t afraid of anything. He added: “He’s the kind of keeper that you and the whole team, especially the defence, feels comfortable with when you have him behind you.”
“The words said in April 2022 proved to be true. Petrovic is an outstanding shot stopper. His reaction time is superb, allowing him to make saves from close range. He’s also able to recover quickly to make two or three successive stops.”
Could Djordje Petrovic already be good enough to challenge for a starting spot at Chelsea?
“I believe that Petrovic can challenge for a starting spot at Chelsea.
“The 23-year-old has received a lot of compliments from well-known figures. MLS analyst Matt Doyle said Petrovic is a top five shot stopper in the world. Former MLS MVP Carles Gil told me on Tuesday that Petrovic “can be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”
“In May 2022, Matt Turner, who now starts for Nottingham Forest, said: “He’s way more talented than I was at his age, you know? He’s taller than me. He’s athletic.”
“Petrovic is a very capable goalkeeper and will compete with Robert Sanchez.”
Is $18m (£14m) a good deal for Djordje Petrovic or have Chelsea overspent?
“The deal makes sense to me, especially given the circumstances.
“Kepa Arrizabalaga being loaned to Real Madrid meant that Chelsea needed to add a goalkeeper quickly. Petrovic is a high level talent who has been scouted by teams around the world, including Manchester United – as revealed by Tom Bogert.
“He’s also shown the ability to adjust quickly. When Petrovic left native Serbia, there was talk that he would need time to become familiar with the United States and its domestic soccer league. He really didn’t, though, as he quickly became known as one of the league’s best goalkeepers.
“Consider this. He was a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022 despite only playing 21 games. He had 85 saves and a save percentage of 76%.
“He was a frontrunner for 2023 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. He currently leads the league in saves (99) and save percentage (79%).
“This is all to say that the money Chelsea spent is worth it because Petrovic has been impressive in both Serbia and the United States. The club needed a goalkeeper now and they got a talented one.
“Keep in mind that the Revs rejected previous offers from FC Nantes and Nottingham Forest because they wanted to keep Petrovic until the end of the year. The offer from Chelsea was too good to pass up.”
What kind of character is Djordje Petrovic? Does he lose his head if he makes a mistake?
“Petrovic is a very stoic individual who is focused on doing his job. There were a few occasions when he celebrated a big save. Otherwise he’s preparing himself for the next moment in the game.
“I don’t see Petrovic as the type of player who loses his head if he makes a mistake. Those who know him speak highly of his character. Stolica said that Petrovic is someone “who was always really supportive of his teammates.”
“Current Revs assistant coach Richie Williams said Petrovic is a ‘great person’ and ‘great player’ as well.
As a Revs journalist, what are your expectations for Djordje Petrovic at Chelsea?
“I think Petrovic comes in ready to compete for a starting spot. He has been working on his English, so that should help with the transition. From there, he just needs to be given an opportunity.
“Revs goalkeeper Kevin Hitchcock – who played for Chelsea – said he didn’t need to watch much of Petrovic’s highlight reel to know that he wanted to add him. Head coach Bruce Arena said the same thing.”
Djordje Petrovic is only 23 but boasts plenty of senior experience – how quickly has he developed? Have there been huge changes in his game recently or was he brilliant straight away?
“Petrovic was brilliant from the start.
“There was a lot of concern among the Revs community when Turner was sold to Arsenal because the New Jersey native was the 2021 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. Petrovic stepped in and immediately did the job.
“I remember being in the post-game press conference after Turner made his return from injury. As you can imagine, there were a lot of questions about Turner. Arena made sure to note that Petrovic, who made his first Revs bench appearance that night, was a promising talent.
He said: “I’ll tell you this, our other goalkeeper is going to be very good. (Petrovic) is going to be a good one. We are looking forward to seeing him play as well.”
“This just shows that Petrovic was grabbing people’s attention from the start.”
Lastly, how would you rate this signing out of 10 from Chelsea’s perspective?
“It’s hard for me to say for sure. As you can see, I’m very high on Petrovic because of his incredible shot-stopping ability. Of course, the Premier League is a step above where he’s played before.
“I do think that Petrovic can become the first-choice goalkeeper for Chelsea by the end of the season. I also believe that he will continue to get better. With that in mind, let’s give this a solid 7/10.”
The Chelsea Chronicle would like to thank New England Revolution journalist Seth Macomber for his contributions – hopefully, all the aforementioned positives about Petrovic come true in west London.
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