.jpg)
The Blues have made a grave mistake by giving the Spain international the number 1 shirt instead of cementing it between the poles.
Robert Sanchez fell from a height he certainly could not have imagined. The Spaniard was dropped as Brighton’s third goalkeeper in the summer, after losing the confidence of manager Roberto De Zerbi in March. Five months later, he finds himself in Chelsea’s cage.
On the south coast, increasing mistakes, De Zerbi’s preference for the experienced Luke Steele and Sanchez’s resentment turned him into an outcast as he demanded to be dropped from the matchday squad at the end of the 2022–23 season.
The 25-year-old was initially signed by Chelsea to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga, but his compatriot’s surprise loan move to Real Madrid paved the way for Sanchez to literally take over the number 1 shirt. The West Londoners would keep him as their starting goalkeeper with only £. 20 million ($25 million) was set aside for the new second choice.
The truth is that even if he did improve last season, Chelsea should not have started the new campaign with Kepa as their first choice. Although the new owners have spent nearly a billion pounds ($1.3 billion) signing new players, the goalkeeping position has been overlooked.
Brighton’s third choice as No.1 isn’t enough for a club of the Blues’ stature, and it’s a decision that could come back to haunt them. Indeed, Sanchez was 19th among Premier League goalkeepers in shot-stopping last season, with an xG minus goals (the most reliable metric for assessing shot-stopping ability) – 2.8.
New manager Mauricio Pochettino has indicated the club is open to any eventuality when it comes to finding a new goalkeeper. “We are looking to explore all situations and possibilities in the market. The club is open to all options,” he told a press conference. So, GOAL reviews the seven players who deserve to be retained…
(tagstotranslate)Chelsea