Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly has launched a scathing attack on goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The World Cup winner's comments come as the club finalises a deal to bring in Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa as their new number one.
Sanchez, who was signed from Brighton for £25 million three years ago, has once again made some costly errors during the opening match of the Premier League season against Fulham (3-2). The Spanish keeper let in a near-post shot from Josh King and later parried the ball into a dangerous area, allowing Gonzalo Garcia to score. On Thursday, Sanchez was left out of the squad for the League Cup match against Luton, with Mike Penders starting in his place.
His shaky performances have prompted Chelsea to enter the transfer market. According to The Daily Telegraph, Chelsea has agreed to sign 33-year-old Emiliano Martinez for £7.5 million. The Argentine will sign a two-year contract with the option for a third year. This transfer marks the fourth deal between Chelsea and Aston Villa this summer, following Morgan Rodgers' record €30 million transfer to London, alongside Alejandro Garnacho and Nicolas Jackson joining the Birmingham side (with Jackson's deal potentially worth up to £65 million).
Marcel Desailly's opinion
In an interview with Metro through SportsCasting, Desailly emphasised that key defensive issues within Xabi Alonso's team are largely down to the goalkeeper's performances:
He is playing awfully! You expect your spine, your defensive backbone, to be reliable. This spine includes Maxence Lacroix, then Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, and now, over time, the central striker.
It’s terrible to see Chelsea struggling because of a goalkeeper. You could chalk it up to the start of the season, but you shouldn’t be showing such weakness at this early stage.
I think we need to remain confident that he will turn it around. But it’s just awful when a Premier League goalkeeper doesn’t provide stability and confidence for the rest of the young team.
We have a young team with great potential. The players have shown they aren’t afraid of team responsibilities and the pressure, regardless of the match status. Therefore, the fear is coming from teammates who are not meeting the expected level and not fulfilling their duties.
