Chelsea’s defensive record has improved since Enzo Maresca took over, after the Blues struggled in that department last campaign under Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea conceded 63 goals last season, averaging 14.6 shots conceded per game, the seventh most in the division.
Fast-forward to this season, the Blues are only conceding 11.1 shots per game on average, the sixth fewest in the division, which is 3.5 fewer shots against them per game, much down to the style of play and control implemented by Maresca’s system.
However, one area that fans are still unsure about, is the goalkeeper department, as Robert Sanchez has only kept nine clean sheets since joining the club, playing 42 games, conceding 57 goals and totalling 3,774 minutes played.
Chelsea’s search for a goalkeeper
According to recent reports from The Independent Chelsea are lining up a move for Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper, Gregor Kobel, who is also of interest to Ruben Amorim and Manchester United. The reports state Maresca is keen to improve his goalkeeping department, despite showing faith in Sanchez so far this season.
It is believed whilst Kobel fits the bill for Chelsea, ticking a lot of their boxes, any move for the Swiss international would be more likely to happen in the summer, rather than in the final days of this January transfer window.
Kobel – who has made 26 appearances for Dortmund this campaign, conceding 42 goals, keeping six clean sheets and totalling 2,325 minutes – could reportedly be available for a fee of around €70m (£58m).
However, the German outfit have struggled this season, which could have hindered the metrics of the shot-stopper.
Kobel vs Sanchez comparison
One of the main areas Sanchez has disappointed for the Blues this season, is with his distribution from the back, making big mistakes leading to goals which have dropped Chelsea some big points already.
Indeed, the former Brighton man has already made five errors leading to a goal in 2024/25, the joint-most of any player in the division. Kobel, meanwhile, has made just one Bundesliga error leading to a goal this season, according to Sofascore.
Equally, whilst Kobel’s shot-stopping numbers seem to rank below Sanchez, his passing metrics look much better.
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Gregor Kobel vs Robert Sanchez comparison |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Kobel |
Sanchez |
|
Goals Against |
1.72 |
1.35 |
|
Shots on Target Against |
4.29 |
4.65 |
|
Saves |
2.60 |
3.30 |
|
Save % |
62.1% |
76.0% |
|
Clean Sheets |
0.19 |
0.19 |
|
Clean Sheet % |
19.4% |
19.0% |
|
Passes Attempted |
40.5 |
40.8 |
|
Pass Completion % |
81.9% |
73.3% |
|
Long Pass Completion % |
48.0% |
39.4% |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
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When comparing the passing metrics of both goalkeepers, you can see that Kobel has a higher pass completion, makes a similar number of passes and also averages a higher long pass completion, which is important to note, as Chelsea will look to play over the press if needed.
Kobel was labelled a “world-class calibre” goalkeeper by Dortmund’s sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, and attracted plenty of interest from other clubs, but was “inspired” to stay at Dortmund.
His ability is heavily praised, but another key factor is his mentality, which former goalkeeper coach at Hoffenheim, Michael Rechner, described as “mentally strong”.
The 27-year-old has been at Dortmund since 2021, making 143 appearances for the club, and it’s this experience and quality which would be a huge asset to Chelsea, bringing leadership and mentality to the spine of such a young team.