New England goalkeeper Djordje Petrović heading to Chelsea

Another Revs goalkeeper heads to London.

New England Revolution and Chelsea have reached an agreement on the $17.5M transfer of goalkeeper Djordje Petrović.

Petrović, 23, has been among the league’s best goalkeepers since his 2022 arrival in New England. Following USMNT international Matt Turner’s transfer to Arsenal, Bruce Arena and his men needed a goalkeeper and in Petrović, they got an all-time MLS steal. Brought in for only $900,000 from FK Čukarički, Petrovic quickly proved he was a bargain.

In his first season, Petrović finished with seven clean sheets while leading the league with an 82.7% save percentage. This breakout season led Petrovic to finish as a finalist for both the MLS Newcomer of the Year and MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.

2023 has not been much different for the Serbian international. He leads MLS in saves and save percentage while being a key cog for a Revs team in second place in the Eastern Conference. His outstanding sophomore season saw Petrović named an MLS All-Star for the first time.

Wanted Man

Chelsea were not the first team from Europe to sniff around the Serb. Nantes and Nottingham Forest saw their approaches rebuffed by New England, leading to discontent with their star goalkeeper. When a giant like Chelsea entered the picture, New England could no longer hold Petrović. The fee will see Petrović become the league’s most expensive goalkeeper export and tied with Pity Martínez for the fourth-highest transfer fee received in league history.

In West London, Petrović will compete with fellow newcomer Robert Sánchez for the starting job. Truth is, just because Sanchez has Premier League experience doesn’t make him a lot better than where Petrović is now.

Considering the burgeoning reputation of New England goalkeepers over the last half-decade, the next diamond in the rough will have big boots to fill. And a market value that will probably soar.