Chelsea are reportedly eyeing Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel, who is also on Manchester United’s radar.
Despite having eight goalkeepers in their ranks, Enzo Maresca is keen to bolster the Blues’ goalkeeping department. Current first-choice Robert Sanchez has been at fault for several goals this season and while Maresca continues to publicly support him, Chelsea’s transfer team are said to be actively scouting for a replacement.
Kobel, 27, fits the bill perfectly, although any potential move is expected to materialise in the summer transfer window. The Swiss goalkeeper meets many of Chelsea’s requirements, but they could face stiff competition from United.
The Independent reports that the Red Devils have had a long-standing interest in Kobel, who has spent four years at Dortmund. Elsewhere, it’s been suggested that United boss Ruben Amorim is looking to bring in a new goalkeeper in 2025 to challenge Andre Onana, who has faced similar issues to Sanchez. Kobel’s contract runs until 2028 and Dortmund would rather not negotiate during what has been a difficult season, reports the Mirror.
The club recently parted ways with manager Nuri Sahin just six months into his tenure, with the team languishing in the lower half of the Bundesliga table. Dortmund have managed to qualify for the Champions League knockout play-offs and are set to take on either Sporting Lisbon or Club Brugge for the right to play either Aston Villa or Lille in the round of 16.
Despite a slip-up that led to Shakhtar Donetsk’s sole goal in Wednesday’s match, Kobel’s reputation remains largely untarnished. Over at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have already locked down a new shot-stopper for the upcoming season, having struck a deal for Genk’s promising Belgian shotstopper Mike Penders. In contrast, Maresca is standing by Sanchez, even after a blunder in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City proved costly.
“We trust Robert for sure but the first one that is completely aware he is making mistakes in this moment is Robert,” declared the Blues’ gaffer. “For sure, we continue to trust Robert. We trust Robert but now we have one entire week [until the next game], we see the reaction and then we decide for the next game.”
