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Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has urged the Blues to sign a new goalkeeper this summer to replace Robert Sanchez. Mikel reckons Sanchez isn't good enough to help Chelsea win trophies after they suffered a 3-1 loss to Flamengo in their FIFA Club World Cup clash (June 20).
The Blues appeared to be in cruise control at the Lincoln Financial Field when Pedro Neto broke the deadlock in the 13th minute. However, they were left shellshocked early in the second half after Bruno Henrique (62') and Danilo (65') scored to hand Flamengo the lead.
Nicolas Jackson was then sent off minutes later following a poor foul. Wallace Yan netted in the 83rd minute to ensure the Brazilian outfit secured all three points.
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Robert Sanchez had a decent outing in goal, making five saves. However, his distribution was poor, as he completed just four accurate long balls from an attempted 14 (29 percent accuracy).
Following the game, Mikel told DAZN (via The Boot Room):
"I don’t think Robert Sanchez is the goalkeeper that can lead Chelsea to winning titles. He is not that guy. They need to bring in a top, top goalkeeper this summer if they want to compete.”
Moreover, Sanchez had a poor 2024-25 campaign for the Blues, making five errors leading to goal in the Premier League. The west London outfit are reportedly aiming to bolster their squad, currently being linked with AC Milan shotstopper Mike Maignan.
"He disappears in games where you don’t see him" - John Obi Mikel admits concerns over Cole Palmer following Chelsea's 3-1 loss against Flamengo
John Obi Mikel has expressed his concern over Chelsea star Cole Palmer after he struggled to make an impact during their 3-1 loss against Flamengo. Mikel believes Palmer needs more space on the pitch to make an impact due to him being a marked man.
Mikel told DAZN (via METRO):
"It is a bit worrying. Cole is a fantastic player, everything goes through him but sometimes he disappears in games where you don’t see him and that has happened again. But he needs to know that he is now a marked man."
He added:
"You will play against teams and they will know if you take out Cole Palmer, you can nullify the way they play. So he needs to find a different way. Maybe the manager needs to help him in terms of navigating games and opponents. Maybe try to free him, give him more space. If he plays well, we play well, so I hope the combination between him and [Liam] Delap will get better."
Palmer started at right wing, playing 82 minutes before being replaced by Marc Guiu. The 23-year-old created one chance for his side, but landed zero shots on goal, lost seven duels, and completed one dribble from an attempted three.
After being completely nullified by Flamengo, Palmer will aim to bounce back in Chelsea's next Club World Cup fixture against ES Tunis on Tuesday, June 24.
Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on June 21, 2025. They are subject to change.
