Enzo Maresca arrival hands goalkeeper Robert Sanchez a boost amid exit speculation

New Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca believes he can get the best out of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, according to The Athletic.

The Blues are reportedly not planning on signing another goalkeeper this summer after fans questioned their options between the sticks.

Chelsea signed Sanchez for £25 million last summer from Brighton & Hove Albion, where he found himself firmly bottom of the pecking order.

At Chelsea, he has been disappointing. Former coach Mauricio Pochettino gave him the number one spot but Sanchez did not live up to expectations, with many speculating that he might leave the club this summer.

After suffering an injury in December, fellow summer signing Djordje Petrovic usurped Sanchez’s place in the starting line-up.

However, following a decent start to life as first-choice, Petrovic began to stutter. He ended the season with an awful record of -8.3 prevented goals (Sanchez recorded -0.22).

Apart from letting in some cheap goals, Petrovic also came under fire for his poor ball distribution, with some calling for Sanchez to retake his position.

In truth, both men are nothing special on the ball. For all the talk of Sachez’s ball-playing ability, his distribution never awed the Stamford Bridge faithful and was serviceable at best.

The report says Maresca believes he can get the best out of Sanchez’s ball-playing ability, but can he address Sanchez’s error-prone tendencies and mediocre shot-stopping?

People who think Robert Sanchez has good distribution kill me
De Zerbi axed him out for this nonsense. pic.twitter.com/9r60TY3Jpz

— ً (@AtomicCFC) June 3, 2024

Chelsea must target a goalkeeper this summer

The Blues desperately need a new shot-stopper this transfer window but must be wary of blowing their budget on one. Also, they must work within the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) constraint.

Chelsea must find a cost-effective goalie with impressive handling and excellent ball distribution numbers.

Targeting big-money options like Mike Maignan and Gregor Kobel may not be the wisest course of action.

The Blues need shrewd additions like Las Palmas’ Alvaro Valles, who was linked with a move to West London over the weekend.

Despite being shoddy at claiming crosses, Valles has the best passing numbers amongst La Liga goalkeepers and boasts the second-best goals prevented number in the Spanish top flight (6.63).

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was not good with crosses at first but improved massively in London. The same is possible for Valles, who is valued at around £3 million.

Another exciting and smart option for the Blues is Athletico Paranaense goalkeeper Bento Krepski.

The 24-year-old Brazil international is recognised as the best goalkeeper in the Brasileiro Serie A and earns top marks for his ball distribution.

Stats from Fbref, Sofascore, and Mclachbot.