Will Édouard Mendy have to quarantine after Chelsea finally agree transfer (for real this time)?

For the manyeth time, Chelsea appear to have agreed the transfer of goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. This time, that actually appears to be for real, after weeks of things being repeatedly and constantly on the verge.

Matt Law’s report in the Telegraph is just one of the many saying this today, with a pretty good consensus on the fee as well: over £20m (€22m) but no more than €25m (£23m), so either way at the low-end of the previously rumored range of fees — and without having to include either Fikayo Tomori or Olivier Giroud.

Mendy’s announcement is still pending the medical and the final signatures, but surely that’s just a formality after all this time.

One question that remains unanswered is whether the 28-year-old will have to quarantine after arriving at the club. He will be coming in from France, a country that is currently not on the list of countries exempt from the 14-day quarantine requirement (unlike, say, Germany). That’s been the case since mid-August in fact, when a lot of Premier League players and coaches (including Frank Lampard) chose to vacation there but had to scramble to return home quickly.

Fortunately, we probably don’t have to worry about that, certainly not as much as seeing Kepa Arrizabalaga play more minutes. Mendy should qualify as an “international elite sportsperson”, and thus being able to participate in training and playing with out elite sportpersons. While he will have to observe the quarantine for general, daily life activities, as far as his involvement at Chelsea, he should be good to go.

International elite sportspersons and essential support staff participating in a UK elite sports event listed in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020 (as amended).

[...] You’ll need to self-isolate for the remainder of the 14 days since you were last in a non-exempt country. You can leave your accommodation to travel directly to and attend the listed elite sports event you are participating in with other elite sports persons and essential support staff. Travelling between multiple venue locations for the sports event or training is also permitted.

-Source: GOV.UK

It should be noted that Mendy reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago, so hopefully he’s free and clear by now. All Premier League players are regularly tested, and Mendy will presumably have to produce a negative sample or two as well as part of his onboarding.

We’re going to need him as soon as possible!