Revolution reportedly getting record transfer fee from Chelsea for keeper Djordje Petrovic
FOXBORO -- Djordje Petrovic is heading to the Premier League, and the New England Revolution are set to get a ton of money for their keeper. Chelsea has reached an agreement with the Revs for Petrovic, according to multiple reports.
The two clubs have agreed on a transfer fee worth $17.4 million for the All-Star keeper, according to The Athletic, which is the highest transfer fee ever for an MLS goalkeeper. It surpasses the $10 million that Chelsea sent the Chicago Fire last year for Gabriel Slonina.
Petrovic is expected to undergo his medical with Chelsea on Wednesday, which will make the deal official.
New England reportedly turned down offers from FC Nantes and Nottingham Forest for Petrovic last month, which upset the keeper. The Revs didn't want to lose their star keeper as they compete for an MLS title, but Chelsea's offer was too good to refuse.
As soon as he passes his physical, Petrovic is expected to compete with Robert Sanchez for Chelsea's starting keeper role.
Petrovic signed with the Revolution in 2022 -- with the club paying a $1 million fee to FK Cukaricki in Serbia for his services -- and quickly established himself as Matt Turner's successor. He joined the team in the middle of last season and came in second in MLS Goalkeeper of the Year voting, and was named an All-Star in 2023. He's recorded 14 clean sheets in his 43 appearances for New England, including seven this season.
As for who will take over for Petrovic, the Revolution are reportedly close to signing Czech Republic international goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik, via The Athletic. The 34-year-old recently played for English club Huddersfield, going 3-4-6 last season, and owns a career record of 202-64-74 with a 0.91 GAA across 12 seasons for six clubs.
