Although Chelsea have a very talented young goalkeeper out on loan with Strasbourg in Mike Penders, they really can’t be too pleased with their current first-team situation between the sticks.
Robert Sanchez isn’t a bad keeper and has largely helped his reputation with some decent performances, but we all know he is a disaster just waiting to happen. And I can’t find too many people who think he’s anywhere near the discussion of David Raya, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Alisson Becker, so Chelsea are definitely behind their Premier League title hopefuls when it comes to the goalkeeper position.
Behind Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen has removed himself from the equation entirely. So if Chelsea want to sign an immediate upgrade who also has the chance to be great for the next five to ten years, here are five top goalkeepers worth watching heading into 2026.
Mike Maignan, AC Milan
Mike Maignan was on Chelsea’s transfer radar this past summer, and while they could have signed him for cheap with his contract set to expire in 2026, they pretty much lowballed AC Milan with 10 million euro transfer offers when the Rossoneri were looking for around double that.
In hindsight – and even at the time – Chelsea should have taken that deal. A 20 million euro investment in Maignan and his world-class goalkeeping would have been worth it, as that amount of money for one year is negligible compared to the potential revenue Chelsea could generate if they win a major trophy, which Maignan in goal could help secure over Sanchez and Jorgensen.
Remember, Maignan won league titles with Lille and Milan against the odds, so lifting up Chelsea’s battered defense wouldn’t have been that much of an issue. They can still sign him next year – or maybe even in January – and a free Maignan is a deal the Blues shouldn’t pass up on.
Marco Carnesecchi, Atalanta
Unless they want to go younger than the 30-year-old Maignan. Age probably doesn’t matter with Maignan because of Penders and the other goalkeeper prospects on the Chelsea books, but this club’s M.O. is to sign younger players.
Marco Carnesecchi is not totally a prospect at 25, and he’s already established as one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A. He was honestly better than Maignan last season, too.
The Italian shot-stopper is saving 81.7 percent of the shots he has faced this season and has never dipped below 75 percent in the last three seasons. He makes jaw-dropping saves, and more people should be talking about him as an option for Chelsea.
Elia Caprile, Cagliari
Part of the reason why AC Milan are open to potentially selling Mike Maignan a few months earlier in January is their focus on Italian goalkeeping phenom Elia Caprile as an immediate replacement.
The Cagliari standout has been a huge breakout star this season with a save percentage of around 77 for the islanders. At 24 years old, he’s not much younger than Carnesecchi, but he should be easier to acquire. Why not go for the replacement instead of the man himself and mess with Milan further?
Berke Ozer, Lille
Lille sold Lucas Chevalier, the best young goalkeeping talent in France, to PSG as their Donnarumma replacement, and Les Dogues may have ended up with an even better young keeper anyway.
Berke Ozer has outplayed Chevalier to start the 2025/26 season, and he’s even made headlines for the Turkish national team, too. He also upped his lore by saving three penalties in a row for Lille against Roma on the continental stage.
With 2.4 goals above expected prevented for Lille this season, Ozer has been one of the best goalkeepers in Europe in terms of the analytics, as his save and clean sheet percentages do not do justice to his talent or the difficulty of saves he is making to keep Lille in European contention despite a now barren squad.
Robin Roefs, Sunderland
Why not go after the biggest breakout star in goal in the Premier League? Robin Roefs just joined Sunderland, so it will be hard to pry him away, and the Black Cats don’t look like a threat to be relegated with how impressive their new signing – especially on defense – have been.
But Chelsea are mighty, Roefs is one of the best keepers in the Premier League right now, and the Sunderland man is under 23 years of age. If there’s any chance Chelsea can bag him in 2026, they have to take it. He’s way, way better than Sanchez and Jorgensen.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.