Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has urged his former club to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, despite Robert Sanchez’s heroics during the Club World Cup final.
Sanchez, 27, delivered arguably his best performance in a Chelsea shirt on Sunday night as he made a string of sublime saves to help his side emerge 3-0 winners against the reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Sanchez made six saves during the match and his heroics in between the sticks earned him the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper at the inaugural summer Club World Cup.
However, Mikel believes Chelsea must dip into the market and sign a new shot-stopper before the 2025 summer transfer window slams shut on 1 September.
“I still believe we [Chelsea] do need a top, top goalkeeper,” Mikel told DAZN (via The Chelsea Chronicle).
“Robert Sanchez had a brilliant game today but going into the new season with the Champions League and the Premier League I think you still need another top goalkeeper that is going to come in and compete with him.”
Sanchez endured an inconsistent 2024-25 campaign and he racked up the most errors leading directly to a goal of any player in the entire Premier League last term.
Chelsea unlikely to sign a new goalkeeper
Although Mikel wants Chelsea to sign a new goalkeeper, the Blues appear unlikely to oblige as things stand.
They were unwilling to match AC Milan’s €30 million valuation for Mike Maignan during the pre-Club World Cup window, while links with Lucas Chevalier and James Trafford have died down immensely over the past few weeks.
As a result, Sanchez looks set to retain his place as Chelsea’s number one, with Filip Jorgensen expected to be second-choice.
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