Robert Sanchez lasted exactly one Premier League match as Chelsea's number one this season. One shaky performance against Fulham — including an error that led directly to a goal — was enough for the club to act. He's now heading to Como on a season-long loan, becoming the second Chelsea player shipped to Cesc Fabregas' side this summer after Trevoh Chalobah made the same trip.
In his place: Emi Martinez, signed from Aston Villa for £7.5 million. A World Cup winner, 33 years old, and arguably the most authoritative goalkeeper personality in English football. Chelsea moved fast, and on the evidence so far, they moved right.
Alonso doesn't need to tell him much
Xabi Alonso spoke about Martinez after Chelsea's win over Brighton — the Argentine's debut — and the tone wasn't cautious. It was convinced.
"He has this charisma, this aura to influence and have a very positive connection with the rest of the team," Alonso said. "I don't have to tell him many things for him to perform."
That matters. Chelsea have been building under Alonso, and introducing a goalkeeper who needs hand-holding at this stage of the season would have been a problem. Martinez walked in 48 hours before kick-off and looked settled. That's the profile they needed — not a project, not a rotation option, but someone who commands a penalty box on instinct.
At £7.5 million for a keeper of his calibre, Chelsea's clean sheet odds just got considerably more reliable. Martinez is now expected to start again when Chelsea travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal on Sunday.
Sanchez gets a fresh start, Como get a ready-made keeper
For Sanchez, the loan isn't a disaster — it's a chance to rebuild confidence in a less pressurised environment. Como host Genoa on Friday, and he could make his debut there. Fabregas has now pulled two Chelsea players to Italy's north this summer, quietly building a squad with Premier League-tested depth.
Whether Sanchez returns to Stamford Bridge next summer with his Chelsea future intact is another question. Right now, that door looks very much like it's closing.
