Fed-up Marcel Desailly tells Chelsea to sign goalkeeper who 'doesn't make mistakes' as he tears into Robert Sanchez

Kepa Arrizbalaga became the most expensive custodian in history when moving to west London for £72 million ($98m) in 2018. Edouard Mendy took over starting duties in 2020, claiming the FIFA Best Men’s Goalkeeper award a year later on the back of a Champions League triumph.

He also slipped down the pecking order, with Spanish shot-stopper Sanchez being snapped up from Premier League rivals Brighton in 2021. A further £25m ($34m) was invested in that deal, but there remain more questions than answers when it comes to last lines of defence at the Bridge.

In an era where keepers are expected to play out from the back and be as comfortable with the ball at their feet as they are when plucking it out of the air with their hands, Sanchez has failed to convince with his distribution off the deck.

Nerves spread across the field and throughout the crowd when passes are fed back in his direction, and that is a situation that does nobody any favours. Those filling berths in the defensive unit need to have complete confidence in the man operating directly behind them.

That is not the case at Chelsea, with former club captain Desailly admitting as much. Quizzed on whether a new No.1 needs to be found, the World Cup-winning Frenchman, speaking in association with BetVictor Online Casino, told GOAL: “Look, the past four matches, Premier League we are talking about only, they've lost three. No consistency.

“You might finish very strong, maybe, and gain a position over Manchester United. You never know, they can drop suddenly from where they are in heaven. Suddenly a miracle has happened.

“But no consistency because the goalkeeper is not up to the level. He made a mistake, he doesn't come out to give that strength to the defence for [Wesley] Fofana and the others. He's [Fofana] not even international, first choice in the French national team. He doesn't drop his level, but it is what it is.

“You need to have international players as first choice in most positions of your team. So that is a problem for Chelsea. As I said, the goalkeeper should be upgraded by experience, even if he's not a top one, at least be one who doesn't make mistakes.”

Chelsea, despite posting record-breaking losses, will likely find more money to spend over the summer - especially if they can chase down the likes of United, who they face at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and secure Champions League qualification for 2026-27.

There are a number of positions that could be strengthened by Liam Rosenior, or whoever is calling shots from the dugout, and a new goalkeeper could figure prominently on any list of targets that is drawn up between now and the next transfer window opening on June 15.