​Mike Penders was part of Chelsea’s Club World Cup-winning squad, but didn’t play in the United States [Getty Images]Chelsea’s newest goalkeeping prospect, Mike Penders, comes from the same production line that produced the legendary Thibaut Courtois.Like Courtois, Chelsea signed Penders from Belgian top-flight club Genk as a teenager.A deal for the then-19-year-old was agreed in 2024 and he officially joined the following summer, before spending a season on loan with Strasbourg. Genk’s goalkeeper coach at the time, Gilbert Roex, told BBC Sport “we thought it was crazy” that Chelsea paid £17m for Penders, who had not yet played for their first team. However, Roex also praised Chelsea for scouting his youth appearances, influenced by head of goalkeeping Ben Roberts, adding: “He was still playing for Jong Genk in the second division when Chelsea’s scouts became convinced. “It was similar to Courtois. He had only spent one season in the first team when he won the title and was still only 18. Maybe Chelsea’s video scouts have identified a player who could be worth much more in the future.”Indeed, this summer Penders trained with the long-time Belgium number one at the World Cup and those close to Courtois told BBC Sport that the 115-cap goalkeeper was very impressed with his understudy as both a player and a person.Could Penders be Chelsea’s first choice?For now, Chelsea’s plan is to keep Robert Sanchez as their number one option while under serious competition from Penders. It’s a similar dynamic that played out when Filip Jorgensen challenged the Spain international, but he has not been able to unseat him as a regular starter despite spells in the first team and is now seeking his exit. Penders is effectively drafted in to replace Jorgensen with a third option also being sought either internally or in the transfer market, as one-time United States international Gabriel Slonina trials with partner club Strasbourg. It’s Strasbourg where Penders made a name for himself on loan and leaves a gap for the French club – under the same American ownership as Chelsea – to fill. At Genk, Penders made 26 appearances in his final season knowing he would join Chelsea, where he featured as an unused substitute at the Club World Cup, before joining Strasbourg in Ligue 1. There he played almost every game during a demanding 52-match season that included runs to the semi-finals of both the Coupe de France and the Conference League.It was there that Penders stood out under former Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, who employed an extreme tactical approach before later joining Chelsea.Among goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues, no one had a higher average position from goal, underlining Penders’ importance in Strasbourg’s build-up play and how frequently he operated outside his penalty area.The approach produced some impressive football but also, on occasion, some high-profile mistakes.Penders was in Belgium’s World Cup goalkeeping group alongside Thibaut Courtois a