Xabi Alonso officially takes charge of Chelsea on July 1, and there is already a growing expectation that a lot of changes are coming this summer.
After a poor season which ended without European qualification, Chelsea’s squad looks likely to undergo another major rebuild under the Spaniard. Multiple arrivals, as well as departures, are expected.
One position which already looks under serious scrutiny is goalkeeper, because despite moments this season, questions surrounding Robert Sanchez have never totally gone away.
Paul Scholes expecting Xabi Alonso to get rid of Robert Sanchez
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has now admitted he believes Alonso will ultimately want a different type of goalkeeper at Stamfod Bridge moving forward.
The discussion initially began after Nicky Butt, who spoke on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast labelled Sanchez “a liability” while discussing Chelsea’s current squad situation.
Scholes agreed with his ex-teammate's comments.
“With the way Chelsea will play, I agree. He can’t do it," he said.
Scholes then highlighted Alonso’s tactical demands as the key reason Sanchez may struggle long-term under the new manager.
He added: “I’m pretty sure Xabi Alonso will want to play that way, to build out from the back, so he will need a new goalkeeper then."
While Sanchez has occasionally produced impressive performances, there have also been too many moments where his distribution, decision-making and composure under pressure have created problems for the team during important matches. And that is a trend which is likely to continue given Alonso's demands.
The Spaniard’s teams at Bayer Leverkusen relied heavily on build-up play from the back, with goalkeepers expected to remain calm and technically secure under intense pressing situations.
In truth, replacing Sanchez looks like one of the most obvious positions Alonso may look to address immediately once he officially arrives at Stamford Bridge.
Robin Roefs transfer now unlikely
One interesting consequence of Chelsea missing out on European football could be their interest in Sunderland's Robin Roefs.
The Black Cats' number one is heavily linked with a summer move to West London but the Blues' failure to secure European football combined with Sunderland's amazing Europa League finish will probably see the keeper snub the opportunity.
For somebody like Roefs, regular European football could easily sway his decision, because, let's be fair, other than money, Sunderland are a much better proposition next season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google