Chelsea appear to be exploring the goalkeeper market at the very least ahead of the summer transfer window that is soon to be opening again.
There was some noise going around yesterday suggesting Chelsea had made contact to sign a Danish goalkeeper with very little senior experience.
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And it has now become clear that a new goalkeeper could well arrive at Stamford Bridge over the summer.
Reliable journalist Ben Jacobs has thrown another name in the hat as well, a more experienced one at senior level.
Jacobs says Chelsea still like Valencia’s 23-year-old stopper, Giorgi Mamardashvili.
What Jacobs has said about Chelsea’s goalkeeper plans
Jacosb wrote: ‘Understand Chelsea are exploring a new goalkeeper for this summer. It’s become more of a priority position because of the kind of profile Enzo Maresca’s system requires.
‘Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen is one possible target, as Nizaar Kinsella called. But also keep an eye on Newcastle. They have held some talks with his agent.
‘Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili is another keeper Chelsea appreciate. They have looked at him in the past as well.
‘At 22 and 23 respectively, the arrival of either could raise pathway questions from Chelsea’s other young keepers, although it’s understood in Marbella talks, Enzo Maresca praised Djordje Petrovic.
‘Maresca was effective at Leicester at developing players into his system, and quite often put them out of their comfort zone, including Mads Hermansen. It was a tactical culture shock for some Leicester players in pre-season when Maresca arrived, but most benefited from it.’
Verdict
I believe Chelsea needed a new goalkeeper when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge because I’m not fully confident with Djordje Petrovic yet, and Robert Sanchez is not quite good enough. With Maresca coming in though, it looks like we will need to focus on a top ball-playing goalkeeper.
Game in game out we get 65-70% possession, but can barely create a chance, never mind score, with that amount of possession.
We don’t need goalkeepers, any reasonably competent, sober, keeper in any of the lower leagues of England could do that job with how little Chelsea keepers have had to do over the last few seasons.
What we have is an over abundance of players who don’t know their basic job, which is to play in such a way that allows the team to score goals against their opposition.
We have plenty of good defenders to keep the opposition from scoring against us, those given the job of scoring for the team seem to think that tiptoeing around a corner flag is enough to earn a weeks wages.
I hope this new guy makes them reassess their priorities.
It’s good to have a decent goalkeeper, but our biggest need is capable players in front of the opposition goal, not in front of our own.