Pressure rises on recent signing, as Chelsea scout two targets at once for same starting berth

Despite the addition of Robert Sanchez from Brighton over the summer, Chelsea might still be in the market for a new goalkeeper such as Unai Simon or Giorgi Mamardashvili.

90min claims Chelsea scouted both players when their sides Athletic Club and Valencia faced off in a recent La Liga match. It finished as a 2-2 draw, in which Simon made two saves and Mamardashvili five.

Chelsea have not ruled out adding a new starting goalkeeper to their squad in January, according to 90min, even if it remains unlikely after the signing of Sanchez.

Initially, Sanchez was expected to be a deputy for Kepa Arrizabalaga, taking over from the Saudi-bound Edouard Mendy, but when his compatriot went on loan to Real Madrid, it opened up an opportunity for him to step into the no.1 role.

There have since been mixed reviews about Sanchez in the Chelsea goal, which is why they continue to scour the market in case they can find a different no.1 to settle on for the long term.

According to 90min, their scouts were primarily focusing on Mamardashvili on their recent mission in Spain, but they classed it as an ideal way to take information on Simon as well.

Other goalkeepers on their watchlist include Porto’s Diogo Costa and England duo Jordan Pickford (Everton) and Aaron Ramsdale, whose future at Arsenal is currently in doubt. The chance to get a glimpse of two targets at once, though, was inviting when it came to Simon and Mamardashvili.

Simon, 26, is only under contract in Bilbao until the end of next season. Coincidentally, for his current club, he became the successor to Kepa after Chelsea’s record goalkeeper purchase in 2018.

Meanwhile, Mamardashvili has a deal with Valencia that is due to last until 2027. Now 23 years old, he joined the club from Dinamo Tbilisi in his native Georgia back in January 2022.

The report does not mention how much it might cost to sign either player. There is notably no release clause in Simon’s contract, whereas Mamardashvili’s is set at €100m/£87.3m (with an acknowledgement that nobody is likely to pay that much for him).

Chelsea targets are both regular starters

Both Simon and Mamardashvili are regular starters for their current clubs in La Liga. Whether they would have to rotate with Sanchez for the starting berth in Mauricio Pochettino’s lineups is unclear.

Sanchez, 25, signed a contract until 2030 when joining Chelsea earlier this year. They also bought Djordje Petrovic from the New England Revolution on a contract of the same length to provide competition in the long term.

Marcus Bettinelli and Lucas Bergstrom remain on the books as backups, while Gabriel Slonina – like Arrizabalaga – is spending the 2023-24 season on loan at another club (in his case, KAS Eupen).

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