David James ‘surprised’ over huge Chelsea transfer decision which has paid off

David James feels Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez has gone up a level this season (Picture: Square in the Air)

David James admits he is ‘surprised’ Chelsea decided not to sign a new goalkeeper to replace Robert Sanchez in the summer transfer window.

The 27-year-old Spaniard made 10 mistakes that led to an opposition shot last season, with half of those leading to a goal against Chelsea.

Those blunders saw Sanchez receive significant criticism from both Chelsea fans and football pundits, who felt the club needed an upgrade.

Jamie Carragher opined that Chelsea could not be considered as genuine challengers for the Premier League title with Sanchez as their No.1 ‘keeper.

But Chelsea’s huge decision to not sign a new ‘keeper has paid off, with Sanchez shining at the Club World Cup and landing the Golden Glove.

Sanchez has made an inspired start to the 2025-26 campaign, keeping two clean sheets across Chelsea’s opening four Premier League games and massively cutting down on errors.

He impressed in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Brentford, making a number of key saves to deny the likes of Kevin Schade and Dango Ouattara.

Robert Sanchez has made huge improvements from last season (Picture: Getty)

James: I’m surprised Chelsea didn’t sign a new goalkeeper

Former England and Liverpool goalkeeper James is a massive fan of Sanchez – describing him as a ‘monster’ who has gone up a level this term.

‘I’m surprised [Chelsea didn’t sign a new goalkeeper in the summer],’ James told Metro via Esports Bets.

Robert Sanchez landed the Golden Glove at the Club World Cup (Picture: Getty)

‘Because Chelsea bought about three different players in every other position.

‘But I don’t think they were looking for a Sanchez replacement based on what he did at the Club World Cup.

‘At the Club World Cup, I noticed a change in his distribution. I’ve seen an improvement in what he does.’

James: Sanchez a ‘monster’ who can help Chelsea win titles

‘Sanchez, like every goalkeeper, may have moments where you think he could’ve done better but Chelsea would’ve been expecting that to happen,’ James added.

‘It’s whether or not there are improvements – and with Sanchez I’ve seen a lot of improvement.

‘His confidence in playing out from the back is better than I’ve seen in previous seasons. I think he’s a monster, he could be a monster.

‘I like Sanchez and I think if Chelsea can continue his improvement, then he’ll give them the opportunity to be challenging for titles again.’

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