Chelsea Agrees £25 Million Deal for Brighton Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez

Securing a quality goalkeeper has been a top priority for Chelsea, with the Spanish international Robert Sánchez being their desired choice to provide competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga. Negotiations have progressed swiftly for Sánchez, with the deal expected to be worth £20 million, along with an additional £5 million in add-ons. Talks with Brighton are also ongoing for a potential deal involving midfielder Moisés Caicedo. However, Brighton's asking price of £100 million has led to several rejected bids for the 21-year-old.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino is eager to strengthen the midfield, where he lacks depth and experience ahead of the season opener against Liverpool. With several departures from the midfield, Chelsea's focus is on finding experienced reinforcements. While Lesley Ugochukwu has been signed for £23.5 million from Rennes, the 19-year-old is expected to go on loan to Strasbourg. The competition in midfield mainly consists of talented but young players, including Cesare Casadei, Andrey Santos, and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Robert Sánchez is close to completing a move to Chelsea.

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Pochettino expressed the need for more experienced players after Chelsea's pre-season tour, which concluded with a draw against Borussia Dortmund. Although the club is reluctant to meet Brighton's high valuation for Caicedo, there is a growing belief that Chelsea's determination to sign the Ecuadorian midfielder could lead them to pay close to £100 million.

Chelsea had initially considered a big-money move for a top goalkeeper, but the plans changed after failing to find a buyer for Arrizabalaga. Now, the focus is on acquiring a more affordable option, and Sánchez fits the bill. Ben Roberts, Chelsea's head of goalkeeping department, rates Sánchez highly and believes the 25-year-old will be a valuable addition. Sánchez is known for his ball-playing abilities but faced competition at Brighton, resulting in his loss of a starting spot to Jason Steele. Chelsea's young American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina is set to go on loan to KAS Eupen in Belgium.

Besides signing new players, Chelsea has been actively working on trimming their squad. Pochettino aims for further sales, and Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, and Callum Hudson-Odoi are among the players they are trying to offload. Juventus is interested in Lukaku and has offered Dusan Vlahovic as part of a deal. While Pochettino is considering a new forward, his interest in Vlahovic remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson has made a positive impact in attack during pre-season, impressively linking up with Christopher Nkunku, another new arrival. However, Nkunku's recent knee injury has raised concerns about his availability for the match against Liverpool on August 13th.

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