While Chelsea are preparing for the imminent announcement of Mauricio Pochettino as their manager, the club is being linked with a host of players.
According to reports, Pochettino has passed a vote of no confidence on Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeepers, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy.
Therefore, the club has been linked with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, Inter Milan’s Andre Onana, and Emiliano Martinez .
While Martinez and Onana are good goalkeepers, it is Raya that I believe should be Chelsea’s go-to man.
The Brentford goalkeeper has a save percentage of 77.1% in the Premier League this season, which is more than that of Martinez’s 74% and Onana’s 76% in the Serie A this season, according to Fbref.com. He is also the goalkeeper with the most saves in the Premier League this season according to whoscored.com
It will also interest you that Raya has prevented more goals than his competitors. He has prevented four lesser goals than an average goalkeeper will, which is more than Martinez and Onana. These imply that he has been the best shot-stopper this season.
The Spaniard is also a better ball-playing goalkeeper than Onana and Martinez. While stats show he has the lowest pass competition rate, it is more than meets the eye.
Raya’s lower pass completion is because he is attempting more progressive or forward passes. It is, therefore, unsurprising that he has the most progressive distribution of the ball and completed more passes into the opponent’s half. The 27-year-old has completed the most long ball passes in the Premier League this season according to whoscored.
Raya is also a good sweeper, which means the team is safe when playing with a high line, although stats suggest that Martinez is the best sweeper among the trio being compared.
Raya is running into the final year of his contract with Brentford should make it easier for Chelsea to sign him in comparison to Onana and Martinez.
It will be difficult to sign Onana who just signed for Inter Milan last season and has been one of their stand-out performers while Martinez is in his 30s and will cost Chelsea some money because he has 4 years left on his contract with Aston Villa.
In conclusion, Raya has all it takes to be Chelsea’s number-one goalie under Poch; he should be the Blues’ number 1 goalkeeping target this summer.
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