Keith Wyness: Chelsea finally have available solution to ‘terrible’ problem they’ve had since 2018
Chelsea have been tipped to make a January signing that would solve a terrible problem they’ve had since 2018.
Enzo Maresca is coming under slight pressure at Stamford Bridge, with his side going through a poor run of form.
The West London side have failed to win any of their last three Premier League games, losing to Brighton and Manchester United in recent weeks.
Robert Sanchez was sent off in the defeat to Man United, and it has sparked rumours that Chelsea could be looking to replace their goalkeeper when the window reopens.
Chelsea backed to sign goalkeeper
Football Insider revealed that Chelsea could make another move for Mike Maignan in the January transfer window, after failing to get a deal over the line in the summer.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Maignan would be a good solution to Maresca’s goalkeeper problem.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that despite there being such a big focus on keepers in recent years, the recruitment has been terrible.
Wyness added that there should be enough goalkeeper specialists around, but top clubs, including Chelsea, are getting it wrong.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It’s strange, isn’t it, how many top clubs are all concerned about goalkeepers, and it just seems that the goalkeeper recruitment has been terrible.
“It’s a specialist area and you’d think there’d be enough specialists around there to do this, but so many have got it wrong.
“Maignan is now 30 years old, and I think he may well be a good solution for Chelsea. So let’s just wait and see.”
Chelsea’s goalkeepers have all failed since 2018
Since Thibaut Courtois joined Real Madrid at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, Chelsea have lacked a strong number one goalkeeper who has held down their place in the side for many years.
Across the last seven seasons, the Blues have had four different first-choice shot-stoppers, with none being able to remain in the team for more than two years.
| Season | First Choice Goalkeeper | Games Played (Premier League) |
| 2024-25 | Robert Sanchez | 32 |
| 2023-24 | Djordje Petrovic | 23 |
| 2022-23 | Kepa Arrizabalaga | 29 |
| 2021-22 | Edouard Mendy | 34 |
| 2020-21 | Edouard Mendy | 31 |
| 2019-20 | Kepa Arrizabalaga | 33 |
| 2018-19 | Kepa Arrizabalaga | 36 |
Kepa Arrizabalaga completed a move to Arsenal over the summer, but he was the original replacement for Courtois back in 2018.
The Spaniard was replaced by Edouard Mendy in 2020, before returning for a spell in the 2022-23 campaign.
Since then, Chelsea have had Sanchez, Djordje Petrovic and Filip Jorgensen all battling for a place, but none of the trio have really stamped their authority on the position.
If the Blues are to bring in Maignan, they will hope the AC Milan man can finally provide some consistency in what has become a real problem area.
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