After a first-place finish in the Premier League Summer Series, Chelsea are on the right track to improve on last year’s disappointing campaign. Despite this, it appears that Mauricio Pochettino is still aiming to improve his team before the 2023/24 season starts.
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According to Andy Naylor of The Athletic, a bid has been sent to Brighton & Hove Albion for goalkeeping talent Robert Sanchez, while Fabrizio Romano reports that Sanchez has already accepted Chelsea and is prepared to make the move.
Sources have told Last Word on Football that talks with the player started on Monday morning, and it appears that after some rapid transfer progress, they were able to seal his agreement in just a few hours.
This comes after Manchester United beat the West London club to secure the signing of Andre Onana. Chelsea went far in the race for his signature, but ultimately fell short as the Red Devils prevailed and have since confirmed the Cameroonian international’s arrival.
Watch: What is Pochettino’s Strategy to Improve Chelsea?
Chelsea Make Approach for Robert Sanchez Having Lost Out on Andre Onana
Why Chelsea Signing Robert Sanchez Makes Great Sense
With the signing of Bart Verbruggen for £16.3 million, and Jason Steele replacing Sanchez as the starting keeper last season, the Spaniard’s place in the squad has been brought into serious question. On top of this, he was not selected for the preseason team that travelled to the United States.
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Even if he were to stay at his current club, it’s doubtful that Roberto De Zerbi would give him minutes between the sticks over his English and Belgian teammates given their strained relationship at the moment.
As for the 12th-place finishers, signing the 25-year-old would provide extra motivation for Kepa Arrizabalaga to perform at his best. According to the Evening Standard, he has the recommendation of Ben Roberts who was the goalkeeping coach during Graham Potter’s tenure at Stamford Bridge. Both men have positive connections with the shot-stopper, with the former manager hailing him as “fantastic” during their time at the Seagulls together.
If the transfer is successful, the Cartagena-born footballer will either take over the starting role or be a reliable rotation option, which would be beneficial to the London club either way.
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The Negotiations Over Moises Caicedo Could Be an Issue
Although Sanchez has already agreed to join the Blues, the ongoing talks over midfielder Moises Caicedo, as well as the potential transfer fee, are a problem in making the deal happen according to Simon Jones.
However, with Edouard Mendy leaving for Saudi Arabia and Gabriel Slonina reportedly being sent out on loan, the backup goalkeeper position must be filled so that the team can still function if Kepa falls out of form or is injured.
Main image credit: Vespa125125CFC – Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 3.0
