Chelsea could finally get the chance to address their biggest issue. The Blues need to carefully consider their squad this summer, and Xabi Alonso is likely to take a ruthless approach.
The Spaniard is not going to want to settle for a subpar season, and so the bar is likely to be a high one during pre-season. Alonso is also likely to already have ideas about which players need to be canned, and there are a couple of glaring issues.
Robert Sanchez could be the first replaced at Chelsea
The first glaring issue in this Chelsea squad is between the sticks. The Blues know they have a problem with Robert Sanchez, and that was made clear by the fact that they tried to sign Mike Maignan from AC Milan to replace him last summer.
Maignan had a year left on his contract, but Milan priced the Frenchman out of a move and then convinced him to sign a new contract. This summer, Milan sacked their manager, three directors, and now star man Rafael Leao has announced he wants to leave the club, and indeed Italy.
Maignan could well leave, and there are reports aplenty in Italy claiming Chelsea will return with a fresh bid this summer. Clearly, the Blues board are still keen on strengthening the goalkeeper position, and Maignan appears to remain the key target.
if Chelsea are that convinced, they need to pay what it takes to get the deal over the line this summer. Sanchez is a good goalkeeper but not an elite one, and in his defence, it's not fair on him play another season knowing he is not truly supported by the club.
Alonso is going to come in and play a possession style of football that will require his goalkeeper to be able to play with the ball at his feet. Sanchez is not comfortable doing that, and his difficulties with the ball at his feet are going to be exposed to a greater degree this coming season.
Chelsea needs to pull the plug and move on to address what is a clear issue, and there is little doubt that Sanchez will find himself a new club that is playing in Europe.
Alonso is coming off a failed spell at Real Madrid that saw him lose his dressing room, and amid those leadership doubts, he needs to establish himself early and make a strong decision to quickly solve an issue everyone can see.
Add us as a preferred source on Google