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Tom OlverPublished Jul 24, 2024, 2:33pm|Updated Jul 24, 2024, 2:34pm
Robert Sanchez insists he is ‘the right guy’ for the style of play Enzo Maresca plans to implement at Chelsea and is ready to fight for his place as number one next season.
Chelsea signed Sanchez from Brighton for a fee of around £20million last summer and the 26-year-old went on to make 21 appearances between the sticks in his debut season for the west London giants.
The Spain international was forced to share the gloves with Dorde Petrovic across the campaign, though, with neither goalkeeper able to nail down the position ahead of Maresca’s arrival as head coach.
The situation has forced Chelsea to return to the transfer market once again this summer and a number of high-profile shot-stoppers have been linked in recent weeks and months, including Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford, Bento and Jordan Pickford.
The latest reports indicate that Chelsea have focussed their attentions oj Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen are the Blues are understood to be closing on a deal after lodging an opening offer for the highly rated 22-year-old.
However, Sanchez is confident he has the quality and character to make the position his own at Stamford Bridge for the long-term.
‘I am training hard to get that position. I’ll get some minutes and we’ll go from there,’ Sanchez told talkSPORT.
‘I always think playing with my feet is my game. I feel really comfortable with what [Maresca] wants.
‘He has explained what he wants from me and I’ve been doing it in training, and it’s looking really good at the moment.
‘I know what I can bring to the team. I am positive. It’s a totally different [style]. The goalkeeper here needs to “have a pair” and show a bit of personality. I think I am the right guy for that.
‘Right now, I’m feeling really confident in training. It’s looking good. It’s about just being a bit different to what a normal goalkeeper is like, you need to have a bit of arrogance, hold the ball, show a bit, and like I said ‘have a pair’ and show a bit of quality.’
Reports this week indicate that Chelsea are open to the idea of selling Petrovic to free up space for a new ‘keeper ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The 24-year-old Serbia international was omitted from Chelsea’s squad for the club’s pre-season tour of the United States due to a minor injury and while he is set to join his team-mates over the coming days, his long-term future remains in doubt.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, meanwhile, is expected to bring his spell with the Blues to an end before the transfer deadline after spending last season on loan at Real Madrid.
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