“Enzo Maresca also wants him” “He’s so calm & he will help our style of play” – Noni Madueke reveals who should be Chelsea goalkeeper ahead of next season after Robert Sanchez blunders
There are several high-profile goalkeepers linked with a potential move to Chelsea this summer, and Noni Madueke’s previous comments about one individual suggest he’d be a brilliant option at Stamford Bridge.
It’s going to be interesting to see which goalkeepers are in the Chelsea squad by the time the 2025/26 campaign begins.
As it stands, Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen are the senior keepers in the group. It’s fair to say that both have come under pressure during various parts of the season, though. On top of that, Blues loanees Djordje Petrovic and Mike Penders are impressing away from the club right now.
It’s been claimed that Chelsea are willing to enter the goalkeeper market this summer to bring a new shot-stopper to Stamford Bridge.
Noni Madueke raved about Chelsea target James Trafford in 2023
The latest transfer speculation claims that Chelsea have enquired about signing Burnley’s James Trafford ahead of the summer.
The 22-year-old goalkeeper has been instrumental in helping Burnley secure promotion from the Championship this season, conceding just 15 times in 44 league games. He’s still waiting to make his senior England debut, but he’s been on the bench numerous times as an understudy to Jordan Pickford.
Back in June 2023, Chelsea winger Noni Madueke delivered a glowing verdict on James Trafford when the pair were teammates in England’s Under-21s team. Incidentally, the Young Lions went on to win the UEFA European U21 Championship in the same summer.
When discussing Trafford, Madueke said via The Times: “He seems so calm in possession and it helps our style of play as well but some of the saves you saw — unbelievable. I’m happy he has that belief in himself, because I do as well.”
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has made it clear he wants his goalkeeper to build from the back, so Madueke claiming Trafford is “calm in possession” should be a giant tick by his name.
The Burnley gloveman fits the bill of a modern keeper with his passing range and calmness in possession. However, we particularly admire his shot-stopping ability and presence on the pitch.
He’s been the outstanding goalkeeper in the Championship, and he’ll return for another crack in the Premier League a more polished player. However, will he be in Burnley’s colours or another team’s?
Enzo Maresca wanted James Trafford at Chelsea last year
We’re confident that Trafford has the ability and potential to be a superb signing for Chelsea if the club decides to ramp up transfer interest.
As well as Madueke’s assessment from a couple of years ago suggesting Trafford would suit the Blues, the biggest sign of approval is that Maresca wanted to sign the Burnley shot-stopper last year.
It was reported in June 2024 that Enzo Maresca wanted Chelsea to sign James Trafford.
There’s already a familiarity between the pair because Maresca was a coach at Manchester City when Trafford was coming through the ranks at the Etihad Stadium. On paper, it feels like a deal that would make sense for so many reasons.