Chelsea lost two consecutive big matches over the past week, first against Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener, and then a 2-1 loss against Manchester United in their fifth Premier League game. The results have left them in a bad spot and changed the outlook on this team, which was being considered a potential title contender until very recently.
Within just five minutes into the game at Old Trafford, Robert Sanchez received a straight red for a challenge just outside the penalty box to stop Bryan Mbeumo from scoring an opening goal for Man Utd. After that, everything went south, as Chelsea were forced into changes which made a win almost impossible.
Once again, the Spaniard paid the price for his poor decision-making. It would have been better to concede and play with eleven. Although Sanchez has clearly improved since the end of last season and made some excellent saves against Bayern Munich, it is very typical of him to make bad choices like this throughout his career.
After this match, several questions are being raised about Chelsea's transfer decisions. As the Blues came very close to replacing Sanchez this summer, but eventually decided against it. Now it seems that they made a mistake by not signing someone like Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
5 Goalkeepers Chelsea could sign to replace Robert Sanchez
The past is the past, and Chelsea should now add a goalkeeper to their list of targets for the next year. Here are five players they may consider in the next summer transfer window.
1. Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
The Blues may revive their interest in AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. They showed interest in him during the summer but were unable to agree on a transfer fee.
However, Maignan's contract at San Siro will expire next summer, and he'll be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement from January. Chelsea may also try to get a cut-price deal during the winter window.
2. Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund)
Gregor Kobel has emerged as one of German football's top goalkeepers since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2021. He has made 175 appearances for BVB, while keeping 58 clean sheets. The Bundesliga club reportedly values the Swiss keeper at around €70m. So he won't be a cheap acquisition, but his experience in European competitions would be a valuable addition to the Blues.
3. Diogo Costa (FC Porto)
Diogo Costa has been an outstanding keeper for FC Porto since his debut in 2019, keeping 88 clean sheets in 203 games for the club. He is also Portugal's first-choice goalkeeper, having played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2024, where he famously saved all three penalties in his country's round of 16 shootout victory over Slovenia.
Chelsea reportedly approached him during the summer last year, but he ultimately stayed at Porto. His release clause is reportedly in the region of £60-70m.
4. Mads Hermansen (West Ham)
Last year, Enzo Maresca reportedly wanted to sign his former Leicester City keeper Mads Hermansen, but instead brought in Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal. The Dane was the Italian's first-choice keeper during his promotion-winning season with the Foxes and he admired his ability to play out from the back, something Sanchez struggles with at times.
He was again linked to Chelsea this summer, but was ultimately signed by West Ham. But the Hammers might already be eyeing a new keeper after Hermansen conceded 8 goals in his first two Premier League games, with Sunderland scoring 3 and Chelsea scoring 5.
5. Mike Penders (Strasbourg, on loan from Chelsea)
Mike Penders joined Chelsea from Genk in the summer of 2025 for around £17m and has a contract until 2032. The Belgian goalkeeper was then loaned to Strasbourg to get first-team experience and boost his development. He will be another option for the Blues next season if he does well for the French club.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will attempt to sign one of these players next summer or someone else. Meanwhile, Sanchez will only be unavailable for one game as he was sent off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. As a result, the Spaniard will be available for the club's next league game against Brighton, a boost considering how bad Jorgensen was against Lincoln City.