Chelsea have begun their search for a new goalkeeper who will serve as a backup for their Spanish goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez. Kepa, who returned from a loan spell from Real Madrid, is reportedly preparing for a permanent exit.
Last season saw Robert Sanchez start as the no.1 goalkeeper for the Blues after he moved from Brighton on a £25m transfer. His midseason injury paved way for Djordje Petrovic to become the new first choice for the goalkeeping position. But the appointment of new manager, Enzo Maresca, changes everything. At Stamford Bridge, the wheels of transfer activities are always in motion.
Do Chelsea Really Need a Goalkeeper?
New boss, Maresca, has decided to put his faith in Robert Sanchez. The Spaniard made a switch from Brighton to Chelsea after he lost his place to Jason Steele. He was highly rated by Graham Potter when he was in charge of the Seagulls. But his goalkeeping brilliance is sometimes accompanied by errors which are unbecoming of a professional goalkeeper.
Most Chelsea fans would recall Sanchez’s horrendous pass to Rice who immediately put it in the back of the net. What made it more disappointing was that Arsenal were able to rescue a point that day. There were several such instances where he came close to conceding a goal due to his mistakes. All these factors raise questions over his reliability and whether he should be the first choice at all.
However, Sanchez ticks all the boxes in Chelsea’s criteria for a suitable goalkeeper. His 6’4 profile is a plus as it helps in more than just shot stopping. The 26-year-old’s expertise extends to blocking crosses into the penalty area. Furthermore, he has impeccable reflex and timing for clearing breakthrough passes outside the 18-yard box and his frequency of such actions rank 6th among Premier League goalkeepers. His style of play and skillsets are what Maresca needs. The Italian is confident in the goalkeeper’s abilities and hopes to work on his weaknesses in the pre-season.
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What Happens to Petrovic?
Chelsea have put Villareal goalkeeper, Filip Jorgensen, and Valencia goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili on their transfer shortlists. This automatically signalled an imminent exit for Djordje Petrovic. He has been offered to Serie A side, Genoa.
The Serbian shot-stopper got his chance in December when Sanchez was hit with an injury. For the first few matches, he displayed a fine performance and proved he could match the Premier League standard. This was followed by a dip in form and could not impress afterwards like he first did. Compared to Sanchez, he does not risk it anywhere near the penalty box but his long ball distributions are poor. Even though the Spaniard played just 16 Premier League games, Petrovic’s save percentage last season was really low.
Chelsea have been advised not to break their bank for a goalkeeper and focus on sealing a cost-effective deal. If they are to play Champions League, it is imperative that the goalkeeping position should not be ignored.
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