Chelsea have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, with Mauricio Pochettino looking to bolster his shot-stopping options ahead of his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Should the deal go through, Sanchez will be Chelsea's sixth signing of the summer.
What's the latest on Robert Sanchez to Chelsea?
The London club have reached an agreement on an initial £20m fee, which could rise to £25m in potential add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano, who has also reported that the shot-stopper has agreed a long-term deal.
It always seemed likely that Chelsea would sign another goalkeeper this summer, following the exit of Edouard Mendy to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli. And with that, Sanchez was identified as a target, before this recent breakthrough in negotiations will see him join his compatriot at Stamford Bridge.
Whether the Brighton goalkeeper comes in as an instant starter remains to be seen, with Kepa Arrizabalaga set to compete with his fellow Spaniard in the coming campaign. Of course, competition is no bad thing, however, as Pochettino looks to identify his best starting line-up as early as possible at Chelsea.
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It will certainly be interesting to see just who makes the new manager's preferred side, especially in between the sticks, should Sanchez complete the move.
Is Robert Sanchez a good signing?
So far this summer, the Blues have addressed some serious issues within their squad – they've cleared out plenty of deadwood, shipping out a total of 14 players so far.
The Premier League giants have also attempted to solve their issues in attack, with the arrival of Christopher Nukunku and Nicolas Jackson bolstering their offensive options, as they look to better their disastrous tally of 38 goals in the previous campaign.
One problem that remained unsolved, however, was their need for a goalkeeper, and Sanchez's potential arrival looks set to change that in the coming weeks.
The Brighton man is certainly capable of slotting straight into the number one role at Stamford Bridge, too, especially when at his best. During the 2021/22 season, for example, Sanchez made more saves than his Chelsea competition, Kepa, managed during the last campaign, according to FBref.
Of course, one concern will be the fact that the Spaniard lost his place to Jason Steele under Robert de Zerbi last season in a surprising turn of events at The Amex. When asked to play the role for the Seagulls, though, Sanchez received plenty of praise, with former coach Graham Potter previously saying, via The Argus:
“He is a monster in terms of his physicality. He’s not just big but he is powerful, he is fast. In terms of attributes as a goalkeeper, he has got everything to be a top goalkeeper.
“We have to keep helping him, supporting him. I thought he was really good. He made some good saves but also aerially helped out because Burnley challenge you in the box.
“I’m pleased for him. It’s another step forward in his development but he has still got a lot to do and he has still got a lot of experience to gather.”
With that said, it will certainly be interesting to see how Sanchez does if he does complete an expected summer move to Chelsea.