Chelsea have been told they need to replace Robert Sanchez in the final days of the summer transfer window after the goalkeeper endured a poor start to the season.
The Blues kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 3-2 win over local rivals Fulham on Monday night. But while their new-look attack of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro sparkled, Sanchez looked like his error-prone self at the other end of the pitch.
He allowed Josh King's effort to beat him at the near post before pushing out another shot into the path of Gonzalo Garcia, who headed in Fulham's second goal.
Sanchez's Chelsea record under scrutiny
Sanchez has been at Chelsea since a £20million move from Brighton in 2023 and has made 112 appearances for the club. The 28-year-old Spaniard has managed to hold onto his position as number one goalkeeper in west London, despite Chelsea's prolific dealings in the transfer window.
That needs to change, according to Jamie Carragher, who has urged Xabi Alonso to bring in a new goalkeeper before the window closes on September 1.
"There were things to really like," he said on Sky Sports. "On paper, that front three is sensational. It really is. It looked it in the game. I think Joao Pedro is fantastic. Rogers' first game, what a start. But when you think of him, Palmer and Pedro - that's as good as anything in the Premier League right now."
"But I do think [there are] concerns defensively. They conceded a couple of goals and you look at the goalkeeper. They have to sort the goalkeeper issue out because it's going to come back to haunt them this season, as it did tonight."
Neville suggests Martinez as solution
Gary Neville added: "They've added an experience player in centre back, centre midfield and centre forward. I don't know if Emi Martinez is available or not but someone like that needs to come in at Chelsea, because that will undermine everything they do.
"The positives for Fulham came from the encouragement Sanchez gave them with the goals. The goals were both mistakes. It's a problem."
Martinez's future at Aston Villa is far from certain after the club signed Japan international Zion Suzuki from Parma for around £30m. Martinez had been linked with a move to Juventus and was left out of the squad for their opening day defeat by Brighton.
"Martinez transmitted to us the possibility to have another challenge in his career," Unai Emery said after the game. "Even last year, he was thinking in case he can have one possibility to change for his challenges."
"He didn't do it last year and he performed fantastic with us. This year, again, he transmitted us the possibility to have another challenge and we decided to sign Suzuki because I think he's a fantastic goalkeeper."
