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Spanish giants Barcelona are reportedly eyeing up LOSC Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier as a potential long-term replacement for their current number one Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The Catalan side are interested in the 23-year-old talent, who is reportedly valued at around €25 million.
Chevalier graduated from Lille's famed academy, which has produced talents like Eden Hazard, Franck Ribery, and Leny Yoro in 2020. After an impressive loan spell at Ligue 2 side Valenciennes in the 2021-22 campaign, he became an undisputed starter for Les Dogues.
He has conceded 93 goals in 98 appearances for Lille, keeping 38 clean sheets along the way. With his incredible performances, he has attracted attention from top European sides like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City.
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Ter Stegen suffered a patellar tendon rupture in September this year, which will keep him in the sidelines for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign. While back-up shotstopper Inaki Pena (25) has stepped up to the plate reasonably well in the German's absence, questions have been raised about his consistency.
The Blaugrana recently secured a new sponsorship deal with Nike on renewed terms until 2038, with the deal reportedly set to pay them a whopping €1.7 billion. With the fresh injection of finances, the board have reportedly set their eyes on a long-term answer between the sticks, with Chevalier at the top of their wishlist.
According to Spanish outlet SPORT, the 23-year-old is a serious option for Barca in the summer of 2025. Other names on the Catalans' wishlist are Porto's Diogo Costa (25) and OGC Nice's 2023-24 Ligue 1 Golden Glove-winning keeper Marcin Bulka (25).
"There are steps above" - French goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier makes claim amid rumours of Barcelona move
French goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier has made an interesting claim amid rumors linking him with a move to multiple top European clubs, including Barcelona. While the 23-year-old stated that his current side, LOSC Lille, is a 'very big European club', he claimed that there are many other 'steps above' the Ligue 1 outfit.
With his improving performances for Lille, Chevalier has announced himself on the global footballing stage over the past few seasons. European giants such as Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Barcelona have expressed their interest in his services.
Although Barca signed Wojciech Szczesny as a stop-gap replacement for Marc-Andre Ter Stegen after his season-ending knee injury, they are believed to be highly interested in Chevalier as a long-term option. Amid the links, the young star has admitted that he is interested in moving to a bigger club in Europe, fueling the rumours even further.
The 23-year-old said (via Barca Universal h/t SPORT):
"We are in a very large nation, all the players play in very large European clubs. Lille is a very big European club, but there are steps above. It's true that when you play in very big clubs, you do bigger shows. And they look at you more, you have more demands."
In an Instagram post after receiving his first call-up to the French national team in November 2024, Chevalier is seen wearing a Barcelona shirt as a child. Fans and media reportedly feel that the Frenchman was a Blaugrana fan growing up, which could potentially sway him towards a move to Camp Nou.
