According to The Athletic, Chelsea have submitted an offer for Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. As of now, Brighton have not provided a response, but discussions between the two clubs are said to be ongoing.
The 25-year-old still has two years left on his current contract. The Blues are interested in acquiring him at a discounted price as they aim to bolster their goalkeeping options.
In the latter part of the previous season, Sanchez faced a decline in favour and lost his starting position to Jason Steele.
His absence from Brighton’s squad for their pre-season tour in the United States raised speculations about his potential departure.
Chelsea have sent formal bid for Robert Sánchez to Brighton. Negotiations are ongoing — told Sánchez has already accepted Chelsea as destination 🚨🔵 #BHAFC
Brighton hope for Sánchez to leave this summer.
🇪🇨 Chelsea and Brighton remain in talks also for Moisés Caicedo. pic.twitter.com/LUtaj6fCpk
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 31, 2023
The Seagulls recently strengthened their goalkeeping options with the signing of Dutchman Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht in a €19 million deal this summer. This move indicates that Brighton are open to entertaining offers for Sanchez.
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Chelsea are in need of reinforcements in their goalkeeping department after Edouard Mendy’s transfer to Al-Ahli, which left Kepa Arrizabalaga as the only experienced option.
To assess potential options, the Blues brought young goalkeepers Gabriel Slonina, Lucas Bergstrom, Eddie Beach, and Jamie Cumming to the first-team squad during their US tour.
Meanwhile, Sanchez’s situation at Brighton is complex, and it is uncertain how it will unfold.
Roberto de Zerbi’s side is known for being tough negotiators and will not allow their keeper to leave without receiving proper compensation, even though he is on their transfer list.
Chelsea are well aware of the challenges of negotiating with Brighton, as they are currently in talks for Moises Caicedo.
In the past, they had to pay a higher-than-expected price to sign Mars Cucurella, and this move has not yet proven successful, as he has struggled since joining them.
