Three players Chelsea should sign to REPLACE Sanchez as number one
Cameron Smith
- 21 Aug 2023 10:23 BST
- 5 min read
Robert Sanchez was purchased as Chelsea’s number two goalkeeper, with the idea of competing with fellow Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga for the number one spot.
Fast forward nine days, Kepa had joined Real Madrid on a season-long loan following Thibaut Courtois’ ACL injury, Sanchez had taken the vacant number one jersey at Chelsea and became the club’s first-choice ‘keeper by necessity rather than choice.
Sanchez, 24, was demoted to third-choice at Brighton this summer after Roberto De Zerbi dropped the Spaniard in favour of Jason Steele last season, before the Seagulls added Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht in July.
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Regardless, Chelsea saw an opportunity to sign a player considered to be one of the best in his position a few seasons ago and submitted a €23 million bid for Sanchez, which was quickly accepted by Brighton.
However, Sanchez was signed as a back-up to Kepa, not to be Chelsea’s first-choice starting goalkeeper. Thanks to Kepa’s departure, the former Brighton man has been in between the sticks for the Blues’ opening two fixtures of the Premier League season.
He failed to make a save in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool, mostly due to Chelsea’s dominance in that match, while Sanchez then conceded three in a disappointing 3-1 loss to West Ham.
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Chelsea are reportedly in the market for another new goalkeeper, due to the departures of Kepa and Edouard Mendy, and New England Revolution shot-stopper Djordje Petrovic has been lined up as a possible candidate with the Blues submitting a first offer for the Serbian.
The west London club are now close to reaching an agreement for the 23-year-old, but given his lack of European experience, Petrovic would likely arrive as a number two ‘keeper with the idea of challenging Sanchez for the number one shirt.
If Chelsea want to sign an out-and-out number one goalkeeper instead, who should they sign?
Using SciSports data, FootballTransfers has picked out three possible candidates Chelsea should sign to become their number one goalkeeper.
Mike Maignan - AC Milan
SciSports rate Mike Maignan extremely highly and for good reason. The France number one has a SciSkill rating of 123.0, which is the third-highest of any goalkeeper in world football - behind only Ederson and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
He excels as a ball-playing, sweeper keeper and his shot-stopping is up there with the best in Europe.
SciSports rate him far clear of Sanchez and Maignan would become a ‘key player’ at Stamford Bridge should the Blues move for him.
Furthermore, he kept 17 clean sheets in 32 appearances during his first season at Milan and backed that up with eight clean sheets in 22 league games last term. His ETV stands at €37.1m, but his current deal runs until 2026, meaning it may be difficult to lure him away from San Siro.
Emiliano Martinez - Aston Villa
The second option is Aston Villa and Argentina star Emiliano Martinez. With a SciSkill rating of 108.0, Martinez would not be as perfect an addition as Maignan, but he may be a more achievable target.
The 30-year-old has seen a minor development in his SciSkill level over the past six months and he has been a reliable Premier League goalkeeper for some years - keeping 11 clean sheets in back-to-back years in the English top flight.
Like Maignan, his contract may be an issue (it runs until 2027), but Chelsea could tempt Villa into a sale if they lodge a sufficient bid. Plus, the Blues have previously been linked with a move for the Argentina international.
Alex Remiro - Real Sociedad
The third and final suggestion is Real Sociedad’s unsung hero Alex Remiro. The Spaniard is rated extremely highly by SciSports, with his SciSkill of 112.9 the fifth best of any goalkeeper.
Remiro has seen his ETV rise dramatically over the last year (from €13.8m in July 2022 to €30.9m in August 2023) as a result of his impressive performances for Sociedad.
He would be an outside pick to become Chelsea’s new number one ‘keeper, but Remiro would be a shrewd acquisition by the Blues.
