Chelsea set to DUMP summer transfer flop
FT Desk
- 11 Nov 2023 18:20 GMT
- 3 min read
One of Chelsea's big-money summer signings is set to lose his place in the team after just a handful of months, according to reports.
Robert Sanchez arrived at Stamford Bridge from Brighton in August, the latest in a string of dealings between the two Premier League sides over recent seasons.
But the goalkeeper, who commanded a fee worth up to £25 million including add-ons, has fallen far short of his best form since changing clubs.
READ: Nicolas Jackson: Chelsea are the biggest football club in the world
Sanchez has conceded 12 times in 11 Premier League outings to date and kept just three clean sheets, and his error against Arsenal in particular proved costly as the Gunners fought back to draw a huge game for the Blues.
Now, it appears that Mauricio Pochettino is already set to move on from the ex-Brighton man barely three months after his arrival.
Blues ready to axe keeper
Football Insider claims that the Argentine sees his goalkeeper as one of the areas Chelsea must strengthen in the January window.
No potential alternatives are named but it is clear that the pressure is on Sanchez, who signed a seven-year deal with the Blues back in the summer.
Publicly at least Pochettino is backing his under-fire goalkeeper, coming to his defence following that blunder against Arsenal.
"We are so happy with him [Sanchez]. Of course he is disappointed and upset with his decision but mistakes happen in football," he told reporters after the match.
"This goal gave the belief to Arsenal. We can maybe read better the situation, the tempo, the timing. We can take risks on 77 minutes because it’s our philosophy, but maybe there is another decision you can take.
"It’s not to blame someone. It can happen. It will arrive with time, when to be calm and when to take risks, and we are still a really young team getting to know each other."
