William Gallas has slammed Chelsea’s recruitment team for signing Robert Sanchez, questioning why they committed to a seven-year deal for a goalkeeper who, in his view, was never at the required level.
Sanchez arrived from Brighton in 2023 for £25 million, but his performances have been heavily scrutinized. This season, he has made more errors leading to goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper.
Enzo Maresca had defended Sanchez publicly but recently replaced him with Filip Jorgensen against West Ham.
Gallas believes the blame lies with Chelsea’s decision-makers rather than Sanchez himself. Speaking to Prime Casino, the former defender highlighted the club’s flawed recruitment strategy.
“Goalkeeper errors are always a problem,” Gallas said. “Unfortunately, Sanchez makes big mistakes too often.
But it’s easy to blame him when, in reality, the sporting director and those who approved the signing are at fault. When you play for a club like Chelsea, you need to be at a certain level—Sanchez isn’t there.”
Gallas criticized Chelsea’s recruitment team, claiming they lack experience in making top-level signings. He pointed out the club’s struggles not just in goalkeeping but also in defense.
“Look at Levi Colwill. He has potential, but he’s being asked to lead the defense too soon. He needs an experienced center-back alongside him, like Thiago Silva, John Terry, or Marcel Desailly in the past.
When you lose someone like Silva, you must plan ahead and bring in another experienced leader. A full-back can’t fill that role—you need a strong presence in central defense.”
Chelsea recently secured a 2-1 win over West Ham to move into the Premier League’s top four. Their next challenge is an FA Cup clash against Brighton, the club from which they signed Sanchez.