Chelsea fans wey dey expect new goalkeeper for this summer fit wait small. Xabi Alonso, di new manager, don make am clear say im dey comfortable with di goalkeepers wey im get for di squad.
Di Blues don dey linked with Porto and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa for weeks. Some reports even talk say Chelsea don ready to pay im release clause. But Alonso don talk say im no need any new stopper.
“I’m very happy with Rob [Sánchez], Mike [Penders] and Teddy [Sharman-Lowe],” Alonso confess. “Mike is a young goalkeeper wey don do great season at Strasbourg. Rob, im don play many years for Chelsea and Premier League, im get experience. So to get this security for goal na important.”
Dis one no be say Costa no good. Di 26-year-old don remain one of di best keepers outside Europe top-five leagues. Im get 48 caps for Portugal and im don shine for di 2026 World Cup. Porto don talk say anybody wey wan carry am go need pay im release clause, wey be around €60 million.
But according to sources, Chelsea never even ask about Costa. Dem no dey plan to bring di Portugal international go Stamford Bridge this summer. Alonso im own words don confirm say di club dey happy with wetin dem get.
For di goalkeeping position, Robert Sánchez go still be di main man. Di Spaniard don dey Chelsea first choice for years now. Im don get im ups and downs, even lost im spot to Đorđe Petrović for 2023-24 season. But im bounce back and don do im best season for Chelsea for 2025-26.
Sánchez don talk say Alonso don make things simple for am. “It is the simplification of things,” Sánchez yarn. “He is allowing me to do what I am best at. I have already played a lot of games in the Premier League and people know what I am good at or not. He is allowing me to do what I do best and that means my confidence is going to be boosted and I am going to play better and better.”
Competition no dey far. Mike Penders, di 21-year-old Belgium international wey Chelsea sign for 2024, don come back from loan at Strasbourg. Im don join di first team for pre-season and don ready to fight for di No. 1 jersey. Sánchez don praise di young keeper well well.
“I think he is great,” Sánchez talk. “We already had him at the Club World Cup last year, he was there with us. He is a great, young goalie and he had a great season at Strasbourg last year. I think it is great for him to come here. It is great competition. He has massive potential. I think he is going to be a great ‘keeper in the future, massive.”
Di two of dem go push each other. Sánchez know say big club need two top keepers. “Absolutely, you always do because you never know what will happen to the first-choice ‘keeper,” im add. “If he is going to get injured or if he is going to go through a rough period. So you need someone, another choice to cover and push each other to elevate level. If you do not have someone that is pushing you every day, you get lazy and then the performance drops.”
Di third option na Teddy Sharman-Lowe, wey be 23-year-old. Im go likely be di number three goalkeeper. Filip Jörgensen, wey dey serve as deputy before, don go on loan to Strasbourg.
Chelsea no don get top-class goalkeeper since Thibaut Courtois leave for 2018. But Alonso dey believe say di answer already dey di house. Penders, wey don dey view as di future No. 1, go get chanse to prove imsef. And Sánchez, wey don dey under pressure, go wan show say im still get wetin im need.
Di Costa saga no go die easy, but for now, Chelsea don settle. Alonso get im men, and im dey ready to work with dem. As di new season dey approach, dat one go be one of di big tins to watch for Stamford Bridge.
