Do Chelsea really need a new goalkeeper? | OneFootball

Chelsea are on the hunt for a new goalkeeper addition this summer, according to the Telegraph, but should it be high on their list of priorities?

Robert Sanchez started last season as the Blues’ number one after moving to west London from Brighton before an injury to the Spaniard opened the door for Djordje Petrovic, who became now departed boss Mauricio Pochettino’s new first choice.

Kepa is back at the club but looks likely to move away from Stamford Bridge following a loan spell at Real Madrid last season.

Let’s analyse both the performances of Sanchez and Petrovic for Chelsea last season…

Robert Sanchez

Sanchez was signed from Brighton for £25m last summer. The 26-year-old had lost his place in the Seagulls’ first team to Jason Steele the prior campaign so came as somewhat of a surprise signing as the Blues’ new first-choice shot-stopper.

Sanchez has some undeniable qualities but mistakes have been a big reason behind his inability to keep his place in the first team. Probably his worst game came in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, when his pass straight to Declan Rice to score allowed the Gunners to eventually come from two goals down to snatch a point.

He was somewhat fortunate that his errors were not punished more often last season and reliability and whether he can really be trusted as Chelsea’s number one, given their aspirations, remains debatable.

But is he a good shot stopper? According to FB Ref, based on the expected goals figure of the shots Sanchez faced last season, he conceded almost one more goal than he would have been expected to at 0.8, which ranks him around the middle of all the goalkeepers to play in the Premier League last season. Though bare in mind he did only play 16 times.

His save percentage of 70.5, meanwhile, ranked him 11th among Premier League goalkeepers last season. But it can be difficult to gauge how good a goalkeeper is just based on the raw stats, given that there are so many other factors to take into account.

It’s clear why Chelsea signed Sanchez. He is exactly the profile of goalkeeper they want. At 6’4 he is commanding, ranking among the best for goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues when it came to stopping crosses – 9.4% of those he faced to be exact which ranked fifth in the Premier League last season.

He is a sweeper keeper in the truest sense. Stats show his 1.7 defensive actions outside his penalty area per 90 minutes was the sixth most among goalkeepers in the Premier League last season. He was also involved fairly significantly in Chelsea’s overall play, touching the ball on average just over 40 times a game, and certainly has the skillset to be a modern goalkeeper that can become part of the build up play in defence, as new manager Enzo Maresca wants.

But issues around concentration and confidence mean doubts remain over whether he can really take Chelsea to the level they are aiming for.

Djordje Petrovic

Petrovic was thrust into the first team after Sanchez’s injury and convinced Pochettino enough to let him stay in the starting 11 even after his team-mate had recovered.

The 24-year-old won plaudits for his performances while deputising for Sanchez. Having never played in the Premier League before, he certainly did not look out of place and more than held his own.

But there is a difference between holding your own and being good enough for a club which wants to play Champions League football again. Petrovic perhaps suggested he was further ahead in his development than he truly was with some excellent early performances as first choice and a more accurate portrayal came when his form dipped after that early spell.

The dreadful draw with Burnley last season was disappointing for Petrovic, for example. He palmed Burnley’s second equaliser into his own net and arguably should have done better with their opener too. Premier League statistics show he made two errors which led directly to goals last season.

Some of the stats are alarming too. FB Ref data shows Petrovic conceded almost seven more goals than he would have been expected to, the fourth worst figure among Premier League goalkeepers last season. His save percentage was 65.7%, 18th in the Premier League.

Maresca was brought into the club because of his clear identity and style of play, which can be compared to his former colleague and boss Pep Guardiola’s way of playing. The goalkeeper is a key part of that and is expected to become an outfielder when his team are in possession.

There are real concerns as to whether Petrovic can do that. He completed only 31.3% of launched passes (those longer than 40 yards) compared to 41.5% for Sanchez – which rank them 20th and fourth in the Premier League last season respectively. When Sanchez went long his passes were targeted and found team-mates, but Petrovic was much more of the safety first attitude with a focus on simply getting the ball clear.

Petrovic is much more of a traditional goalkeeper than a sweeper keeper like Sanchez, with his 0.91 defensive actions outside the penalty area per 90 minutes far less than Sanchez’s 1.7. From what we know about Maresca, his style of play requires a goalkeeper far more fitted to the profile of someone like Sanchez.

What do Chelsea need?

The Telegraph say Chelsea are looking for someone who can push Sanchez for the number one spot, which throws doubt over the immediate future of Petrovic, but are not likely to target a “high profile” goalkeeper, instead looking at someone who can develop and challenge Sanchez over time.

This would be a big show of confidence in Sanchez and the belief that he can be the dependable goalkeeper he failed to be at times last season. Chelsea’s strategy since their current ownership took over has been to sign young players who still have plenty of development ahead of them but signing another younger goalkeeper appears to make little sense on the face of it.

Although costly, a significant upgrade in between the sticks would certainly help Chelsea kick on next season, with Sanchez instead acting as the back-up and Petrovic either going out on loan or acting as the third choice. Having a clear, quality number one certainly makes more sense than another mix between second and first choice.

Some of the names that fit the bill

So which goalkeeper could help to take Chelsea back into Champions League contention next season and fit Maresca’s style?

Mike Maignan – The Telegraph report specifically points to Maignan as a goalkeeper Chelsea are not planning to go for, but he would be the answer to a lot of their shortcomings in goal thanks to his excellent distribution and shot stopping abilities.

Diogo Costa – Portugal’s number one showed what he is capable of at Euro 2024 and has the ability to play Maresca’s way.

Unai Simon – Another star of the Euros. Simon has established himself as Spain’s number one and his passing range and accuracy combined with some excellent saves along the way helped his national side to glory.

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