A new goalkeeper will be at the top of Chelsea’s shortlist this summer, and the Blues have been linked with both Bart Verbruggen and Robin Roefs – but which would suit Liam Rosenior best?
Despite his mistakes in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, Robert Sanchez has largely improved since the arrival of Liam Rosenior. But throughout his Chelsea stint, Sanchez has been capable of an error.
While Sanchez is proven in the Premier League and certainly one of the better shot-stoppers, Chelsea need a better player between the sticks if they are going to take the next step and challenge for the title.
Robin Roefs or Robert Sanchez – who would you rather in goal for Chelsea?
Roefs is valued at £50m 💵
Plenty have been linked. From Italy, Mike Maignan was touted with a move to Chelsea before signing a new deal with Milan while Mile Svilar is also an option. But the two linked recently are based in England.
Verbruggen has plenty of admirers with Chelsea supposedly willing to meet Brighton’s £50m asking price, while Chelsea also want Roefs for the same fee. But Verbruggen is better suited, and below is why.
What Liam Rosenior wants from his goalkeeper at Chelsea
Rosenior sparkled as Strasbourg manager with a near-total football style of play. Mike Penders, or any of the goalkeepers he used in France would often adopt the Manuel Neuer-type approach to playing out.
Southampton FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Premier League
Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images
Of course, Penders will return in the summer from his loan, and it might be that Rosenior prefers to use the Belgian goalkeeper instead of signing a new option. But that is not Todd Boehly’s normal approach.
Rosenior is yet to implement that, or request that of Sanchez, because he is has only been Chelsea boss for less than a month. Utilising such a system will take time on the training pitch, perhaps pre-season.
Sanchez does play out from the back and is good with the ball, but is often limited to simple and short passes. He does not contribute to the ability to transition and break the press of Premier League sides.
Why Bart Verbruggen would suit Chelsea better over Robin Roefs
So, of the two goalkeepers currently being linked with a £50m move to Stamford Bridge, which would suit Rosenior’s style of play best? Verbruggen and Roefs are vying to start for the Netherlands this summer.
Robin Roefs.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
But that might not be the only battle the duo face. Indeed, both players will surely be open to a move to Chelsea. One suits Rosenior’s style of play a whole lot more than the other, and it is Verbruggen.
Verbruggen’s passing stats this season are impeccable. The Brighton ace boasts a passing percentage of 77.6% in the Premier League, which is remarkable for a goalkeeper. They are not just short passes, either.
Indeed, Verbruggen is a key asset in Brighton’s build-up play and the beginning of transition. He can spray passes, or fire one into a midfielder. Something that has often caught Sanchez out while at Chelsea.
Who would you prefer – Roefs or Verbruggen?
Both are rated at £50m.
Roefs, meanwhile, has a passing percentage of just 64%. The former Nijmegen goalkeeper goes long a lot more and while that is due to Sunderland’s style of play, Verbruggen has shown he can do it at this level.
If Chelsea want a goalkeeper to come and claim crosses, to make saves and to keep clean sheets, both are capable. But to suit the style of play, Verbruggen is the obvious choice if Chelsea can beat Real Madrid.
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