Como are exploring terms on Robert Sanchez after Chelsea dropped the Spanish international to third-choice following the £12M January arrival of Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa. Sanchez, signed for £25M in summer 2023, was benched for Sunday's 4-3 win over Brighton—his former club—while Filip Jørgensen started and Martinez watched from the squad list.
Chelsea now carry three senior goalkeepers on the first-team wage bill, with Sanchez the obvious exit candidate. The 27-year-old has made 14 Premier League appearances this season but none since Martinez's registration cleared January 31. His contract runs through 2030 at roughly £75,000 per week, a figure Como would need Chelsea to subsidize heavily. Enzo Maresca's public comments after the Brighton match were polite silence—never a good sign for a goalkeeper who cost eight figures.
Como's interest is tactical as much as opportunistic. Pepe Reina, 42, remains first-choice after Cesc Fàbregas convinced him to delay retirement, but Serie A's newly promoted clubs historically struggle with depth when Europe-chasing sides poach their breakout talents midseason. Como sit 12th with 29 points through 26 matches, seven clear of the relegation zone but within range of a top-half finish if results tilt their way in the spring. A Chelsea-quality backup signals ambition to sponsors and shortens the rebuild cycle should Reina's form dip or injury strike.
The deal structure will determine whether this moves past conversation. Como cannot afford Sanchez's full wage, and Chelsea have shown limited appetite for permanent sales when loan-with-option structures preserve theoretical book value. Sanchez's transfer fee is amortized over seven years on Chelsea's ledger—roughly £3.6M annually—so even a subsidized loan clears squad space without triggering an accounting loss. Todd Boehly's front office has used this logic on 11 outbound loans since January 2023, though few have converted to permanent exits.
Watch whether Como formalize an offer before the next international window in late March, when Chelsea will finalize summer goalkeeper plans. Martinez's presence suggests Maresca views Jørgensen as the development project, not Sanchez. The Spanish FA's Nations League fixtures in June give Sanchez a narrow window to reclaim playing time if he wants to stay in Luis de la Fuente's orbit. His last cap came in November.
Chelsea paid Brighton £25M two summers ago because Sanchez was 25, homegrown for Premier League squad-registration purposes, and available. None of those variables changed. What changed is that Todd Boehly signed a second goalkeeper before selling the first one, a pattern visible in Chelsea's defender and forward rotations as well. Como are reading the same roster math everyone else sees.