“As long he’s a Chelsea player we can never win the league with him” – Mikel Obi warns Enzo Maresca player will ruin him at Chelsea
Chelsea have been warned that they will never win the Premier League with Robert Sanchez as their goalkeeper, as criticism of the Spaniard’s performances continues to mount.
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has become the latest high-profile figure to question Sanchez’s reliability, following another shaky display in Chelsea’s 1-0 Premier League win over Leicester City.
Mikel, a two-time Premier League winner with Chelsea, voiced his concerns on his “Obi One Podcast”, highlighting Sanchez’s decision-making as a major issue.
“It was a difficult game, and I have to give credit to Leicester because they did play well,” Mikel said. “They had a few glimpses here and there – there was a mistake from Sanchez again which luckily didn’t result in a goal.”
“But what was he doing? I don’t get it. The defenders could deal with the cross and he’s come out again. I don’t know where he was going. You look at that and you know, we cannot win the league with this goalkeeper.”
Sanchez was initially dropped last month by Enzo Maresca, with Filip Jorgensen stepping in. However, the £25m signing from Brighton was reinstated against Leicester, a decision that has reignited concerns over Chelsea’s goalkeeping options.
At the time of his demotion, Sanchez had made more errors leading to goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper this season, underlining his struggles in goal.
Mikel also suggested that Chelsea will need a new goalkeeper in the summer if they are to challenge for major honours.
“The manager is also trying, and he rotated them for a bit, but you know he’s thinking he wants to get another goalkeeper, a top goalkeeper, at the end of the season. Right now, he has to make do with what he has.”
Chelsea had briefly been seen as potential title contenders earlier this season, but their poor form has now left them fighting for a top-four finish.
With growing doubts over Sanchez, the pressure will be on Chelsea’s recruitment team to find a reliable shot-stopper this summer—especially if they want to return to Premier League glory in the near future.