Chelsea acquired Mike Penders from Genk in 2024, repeating a successful recruitment strategy previously used to sign Thibaut Courtois as a teenager. The goalkeeper spent his first season on loan at Strasbourg, where he became a regular starter across a demanding 52-match schedule and helped the club reach the semi-finals of two cup competitions. Head of goalkeeping Ben Roberts identified Penders' potential early, and Courtois, who trained alongside him at international level, reportedly commended both his technical ability and character.

Penders currently operates as backup to Chelsea's established number-one Robert Sanchez, though he has the capacity to challenge for the starting role. His primary strength lies in ball-playing skills—a quality he developed from a notable weakness through coaching at Genk—and statistics from his Strasbourg loan showed him maintaining the highest average position from goal among European top-five league goalkeepers. However, his path remains uncertain, as Chelsea has faced difficulty establishing a viable challenger to Sanchez, with previous competitor Filip Jorgensen unable to displace him despite opportunities and now seeking departure.