Spanish goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez has joined Chelsea in a £25m transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Sanchez’s switch comes after he sat out Brighton’s last nine matches of last season due to losing his status as the Seagulls’ first-choice goalkeeper to Jason Steele, whilst Bart Verbruggen’s arrival further pushed the Spain international down the pecking order.
Chelsea meanwhile sold Edouard Mendy to Al Hilal earlier this summer, as new manager, Mauricio Pochettino looked to clear out fringe players who weren’t part of his plans or willing to sign new contracts, with Ethan Ampadu and Mason Mount amongst those who also left the club.
Pochettino has also opted to send goalkeeper, Gabriel Slonina out on loan to gain first-team experience, which led Chelsea to swoop for Sanchez in a £20m transfer plus £5m in add-ons, taking the total fee to £25m with the Spaniard signing a five-year contract until June 2028.
Sanchez will provide Arrizabalaga with strong competition alongside Marcus Bettinelli, who will remain as third-choice goalkeeper.
Chelsea’s Co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said that the club are “pleased” to sign Sanchez, who they believe will add “further quality to our goalkeeping unit.”
Stewart and Winstanley also iterated that Sanchez “has repeatedly proved himself in the Premier League and been capped by his country.”
The 25 year-old’s move also brings a decade-long stay at Brighton to a close, having joined the Seagulls’ academy in 2013, before going on to make 90 appearances in total for Brighton’s first-team squad since he made his senior debut in November 2020.
Brighton manager, Roberto De Zerbi issued a public apology to Sanchez over how his time at the club ended, as he commented: “I’m sorry for the last period. Robert is a good guy and a really good player, but being a coach sometimes means making difficult and painful decisions for the team.
“I wish him good luck for the future.”
Brighton’s Technical Director, David Weir added that Sanchez’s departure to Chelsea marks “a good move for all parties”, whilst providing the Spaniard with “the opportunity to play and a long-term stability.”
Weir also reflected upon Sanchez’s impact within their goalkeeping position and academy, as he added: “For the club it’s an area in which we have fantastic competition, and this is another significant transfer fee for our academy. It’s credit to all those at the club who have overseen Rob’s progression.
“We would like to thank Rob for his time here and wish him all the very best for the future.”
Sanchez could make his debut for Chelsea at home against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday 13 August, live on Sky Sports in a 4:30pm BST kick-off.