Chelsea have been a high-spending team since Todd Boehly’s arrival. The new owner of the London-based club has been actively recruiting players in the last two transfer windows. These signings were made to improve the defence, midfield and attack of the team. Despite signing around 30 players, the Blues never thought about signing a new goalkeeper.
Kepa was the first choice after Edouard Mendy lost the trust of the manager. Mendy decided to leave the club and accepted Al Ahli’s offer. This earned him a move to Saudi Arabia. Kepa, who was the first choice, was signed by Real Madrid following an ACL injury to Thibaut Courtois. The Blues decided to spend money on Brighton’s goalie, Robert Sanchez. He joined the club and is a first-choice for Pochettino. Chelsea are demanding a more commanding player and are already behind three big names. Here is a look at the stats that show why these three players are being primarily targeted by the Blues.
Out of favour Englishman
One player who is on the radar of many clubs is Arsenal’s goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. David Raya’s arrival in the summer has ended Ramsdale’s reign as Arsenal’s No. 1. With the UEFA Euro 2024 coming this summer, Ramsdale will be looking for more opportunities.
After a successful season with the Gunners in 2022-23, Ramsdale was unexpectedly dropped from the first team. The Englishman gave some decent performances and made 2.2 saves per 90 minutes. He allowed the opposition to score at a rate of 1.01 per 90 minutes.
This season, the rate of conceding goals dropped down to 0.86 and so did the number of saves. Ramsdale was strong towards his left side and struggled a bit on the right side. Overall, the player has played decently and could be a good addition to Chelsea’s squad.
Most in-demand goalie
AC Milan’s Mike Maignan is the most targeted goalkeeper in football. He is one of the best in the business these days and can be a great addition to any team. Milan have struggled to show consistency in the 2023-24 season. Maignan has shown signs of promise and made some crucial saves. He averages 2.45 saves per 90 minutes. Like Ramsdale, Maignan has also stayed strong on the left side.
The Frenchman is also a ball-playing keeper. Ramsdale was dropped from Arsenal’s starting 11 because he was not confident on the ball. Maignan is a much better passer and that is why big European clubs are chasing him.
Georgian talent
Valencia’s young first-choice is another transfer target for many clubs. Giorgi Mamardashvilli joined Valencia in 2021 and has caught the eye of many. Mamardashvilli ‘s side has also struggled in the past but he has kept them in most of the games. The youngster from Georgia averages 2.5 saves per 90 minutes this season and has performed decently to stop the shots found in the back of the net.
Chelsea are likely to sign players in January. A new goalkeeper could be taking over from Sanchez and become the number-one choice for the Blues.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine