According to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have identified Robert Sanchez and Diogo Costa as potential candidates to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy have shared the goalkeeping duties for Chelsea this season. The former has been the undisputed choice since the World Cup with Mendy nursing a shoulder problem.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips has now revealed that the London giants are looking for a new goalkeeper for next season and currently have Brighton’s Sanchez and Porto’s Costa on their wishlist.
He said: “Chelsea also like Robert Sanchez at Brighton, and one name that’s continues to be given to me as Diogo Costa from Porto, he’s another one on the list. So, Chelsea need to ponder that some more.”
Consistency
Chelsea have had a difficult time in finding a top-class goalkeeper since Thibaut Courtois’ move to Real Madrid. Mendy seemed the perfect solution after a wonderful debut season in 2020/21 but he has made several high-profile errors since.
In recent months, manager Graham Potter has reverted to Arrizabalaga, who was first signed as Courtois’ successor. He has produced some stand-out performances but there have been moments where his shot-stopping has been poor.
One fine example was the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City last month. The Spaniard was spotted ball-watching when he could have intercepted Jack Grealish’s pass to Riyad Mahrez who scored the winning goal with a simple tap-in at the back post.
Therefore, Chelsea need a new goalkeeper for next season. Sanchez and Costa are fine talents but neither will come for cheap this summer. Brighton are known for holding out for premium fees and they may resist selling Sanchez for less than £50 million.
Costa, on the other hand, has a buy-out clause of £65 million on his contract. Porto only recently handed him a new long-term deal and may not want to do business unless the figure is met in full.
Therefore, no matter whether Chelsea formalise their interest in Sanchez or Costa, they will need to pay huge fees to sign either player this summer.
