With the signing of Mike Penders and the departure of Kepa, Chelsea are, without a shadow of a doubt, the Premier League club that has made the most moves involving goalkeepers in recent years.
The goal of Chelsea, a constant rotation:
Ever since the departure of Thibaut Courtois in 2018, Chelsea FC have spent over 200 million euros in the search of a reliable goalkeeper. In spite of their investments, the Londoners have failed to find a lasting solution, thus being forced to find an exit for the goalkeepers they had in the squad and signing new ones every season.
The departure of Courtois left a significant void in goal at Stamford Bridge. To cover his absence, the club signed Kepa Arrizabalaga for 81 million euros, the world record fee for a goalkeeper at the time. However, Kepa failed to live up to expectations, facing criticism for his inconsistency and mistakes at crucial moments, which led him to be benched on multiple occasions. Finally, last season he played on loan at Real Madrid and, a few days ago, his loan to Bournemouth was announced.
Aside from Kepa, Chelsea have signed several goalkeepers in recent years, including Robert Sánchez, Djordje Petrovic, and more recently, Filip Jørgensen and Mike Penders. This constant rotation has prevented the team from establishing a solid figure in goal, thus affecting the squad’s defensive stability.
In addition, the situation has created a considerable problem in terms of roster spots, as the London-based club have had up to seven goalkeepers on their senior ranks this summer, resulting in a major financial burden for the club.
A haven of peace on the road:
In an attempt to solve the issue, Chelsea signed Edouard Mendy from Stade Rennais in 2020 for 24 million euros.
The Senegalese goalkeeper was the only one able to perform in goal for the ‘Blues’ over the three seasons he spent at the club. In fact, the African had an immediate impact, as he was one of the pillars of the Champions League-winning squad in 2021.
However, he was tempted by Saudi Arabia‘s wealth and joined Al-Ahli last summer, thus following the path that other Premier League stars like Firmino or Mahrez took that year.
The future of the goalkeeper position at Chelsea:
Since Enzo Maresca has had faith in Robert Sánchez from the get-go, Chelsea hope to finally solve their goalkeeping dilemma. Nevertheless, history suggests that finding a long lasting solution could remain a challenge.
Chelsea FC are still one of the most ambitious teams in Europe, but their search for a goalkeeper that performs up to standards remains a pending task.
Will Robert Sánchez and their new signings finally bring stability to the teams goal? Only time will tell.
Translated by Nuño Alonso.
Main image: @ChelseaFC.
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