Chelsea sign Spanish keeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton

Chelsea has acquired goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Spain international, with 87 Premier League games under his belt, has committed to a seven-year tenure at Stamford Bridge and is set to join the squad in Cobham shortly.

The club's co-sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, expressed their enthusiasm over the new acquisition.

In a joint statement, they said, "We're very pleased to welcome Robert to Chelsea and he adds further quality to our goalkeeping unit. Robert has repeatedly proved himself in the Premier League and been capped by his country. We are excited to watch him work with Mauricio and his coaching team during the season ahead."

Born in Spain, Sanchez moved to Brighton when he was just 15 years old, where he grew and developed in the club's academy.

His promising talent was honed through successful loan spells at Forest Green Rovers and Rochdale, leading to his role as the first-choice goalkeeper for the Seagulls during the 2020/21 campaign.

His outstanding performance during his first full season as Brighton's lead, in the 2021/22 campaign, helped the Seagulls maintain 11 top-tier clean sheets. This achievement set a new club record for a single Premier League season.

In addition to his Premier League success, Sanchez represented Spain in the 2020 Euros and the 2022 World Cup. His debut for Spain was a decisive 4-0 victory over Georgia in the World Cup qualifiers.

Sanchez ended his stint with Brighton on a high note, aiding the club in reaching the FA Cup semi-finals. He ensured clean sheets in the quarters and semi-finals, despite the latter game ending in a penalty shootout loss against Manchester United.

This semi-final appearance marked his 91st, and final, game for the Seagulls.

Reacting to the transfer, Brighton's head coach Roberto De Zerbi said, “Robert is a good guy and a really good player, but being a coach sometimes means making difficult and painful decisions for the team. I wish him good luck for the future.”

Brighton's technical director, David Weir, viewed the transfer as mutually beneficial.

"This is a good move for all parties. It also gives Rob the opportunity to play and offers him long-term stability," said Weir. He added, “For the club, it’s an area in which we have fantastic competition, and this is another significant transfer fee for our academy. It’s credit to all those at the club who have overseen Rob’s progression.”