Transfer News: Chelsea Unveil Spanish International Goalkeeper As Latest Signing

SPANISH international goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was unveiled by Chelsea this Saturday, August 5, as their latest new signing.

Read all about it! 🗞

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 5, 2023

The 25-year-old made the switch to Stamford Bridge from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion in a seven-year deal believed to have been worth around £25 million (approx €29m). He will now compete for the No 1 spot with his compatriot Kepa Arrizabalaga.

In an official statement announcing the arrival of their new addition, the Blues wrote: ‘Chelsea Football Club has completed the transfer of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton & Hove Albion’.

‘It continued: ‘The Spain international, who has made 87 Premier League appearances, has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge and will soon join up with the first-team squad at Cobham’.

‘We’re very pleased to welcome Robert to Chelsea and he adds further quality to our goalkeeping unit’, said Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, the club’s co-sporting directors.

They added: ‘Robert has repeatedly proved himself in the Premier League and been capped by his country. We are excited to watch him work with Mauricio and his coaching team during the season ahead’.

Sánchez joined Brighton’s academy at the age of 15

Sánchez signed for the Seagulls as a 15-year-old and progressed through their academy. However, his success was not instant and he found himself being loaned out to both Forest Green Rovers and Rochdale.

He finally managed to establish his position as Brighton’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 2020/21 campaign. Once installed as their main shot stopper he set a new club record of 11 Premier League clean sheets in the 2021/22 season.

An international debut in September 2021

His full international debut for Spain came in a World Cup qualifier with Georgia on September 5, 2021. Coming on as a replacement for Simón, he kept a clean sheet in a 4-0 win.

Although he was named as part of Spain’s 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals squad, Sánchez remained as a backup keeper to Emery and the former Manchester United star, David de Gea, and did not make an appearance. Spain went on to lose to France in the final. 

He was also named as one of the goalkeepers in Spain’s 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar which was eventually won by Lionel Messi’s Argentina.