Sporting directors could admit mistake and upgrade Chelsea with €40m+ import | OneFootball

Caughtoffside have tonight reported that Chelsea are interested in buying Gregor Kobel from Borussia Dortmund.

The Blues’ goalkeeper situation has become the focus of the narrative in recent weeks, as the ever unfancied Robert Sanchez upped his error count further. After some games where he made saved, he regressed to games where he actively cost goals, and most fans and pundits have had enough.

Enzo Maresca has continued to defend him, although it’s no surprise to see rumours about new signings coming up.

Kobel has been highly rated at times, although his star isn’t too high right now. Playing behind a regularly calamitous Dortmund defence doesn’t help, although his mistake in the Champions League game on Wednesday was pretty embarrassing.

This team needs experience and leaders as well as a reliable stopper. Personality matters as much as ability if we want a proper spine in this team. Can Kobel bring that?

Another question would be his fee – he’s rated at €40m by TransferMarkt, but we can see Dortmund asking for more. He’s a player at his peak with 3 and a half years left on his contract. He’s their first choice goalkeeper. To buy him in January feels impossible, in the summer, expensive.

Gregor Kobel playing for Dortmund. (Photo by Frederic Scheidemann/Getty Images)

Chelsea’s sporting directors will see the light for right opportunity

Of course, we do believe that the sporting directors want to back Sanchez, plus his backups Filip Jorgensen and Mike Penders. We believe that they think they all have great potential – that’s why they bought them. But they’re also aware that, given the money they throw around in every window, finding an immediate upgrade could change the team’s fortunes would be a very easy win for them.

No matter how safe they feel, they know that the team’s results eventually is what they’re judged on, and if they see their pick continue to struggle they’ll eventually admit they got it wrong.