Paul Scholes has backed new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso to address a critical weakness in goal this summer. The Manchester United legend believes goalkeeper Robert Sanchez cannot meet the demands of Alonso's tactical philosophy, with fellow pundit Nicky Butt calling the shot-stopper a "liability" for the Stamford Bridge club.
Chelsea endured a disastrous 2025/26 campaign, sacking two managers and missing European qualification entirely. Alonso arrives with significant transfer authority and must rebuild a squad that has underperformed for seasons. Both Scholes and Butt identified the goalkeeping position as a priority, suggesting Sanchez's mixed form makes him unsuitable for the football Alonso intends to implement.
Building Out From the Back Demands a New No.1
The crux of Scholes' argument centres on Alonso's known preference for building play from the back—a style that demands a goalkeeper with elite distribution and composure under pressure. "With the way Chelsea will play, I agree. He can't do it," Scholes explained on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. "I'm pretty sure Xabi Alonso will want to play that way, to build out from the back, so he will need a new goalkeeper then."
Butt echoed this sentiment more bluntly. "I think the goalkeeper is a problem there at Chelsea, he's a liability. He can't play the way they will want to play." The assessment reflects a broader reality: modern elite football demands goalkeepers capable of functioning as a tenth outfield player, distributing possession and maintaining Alonso's possession-based approach.
Additional Squad Overhaul on the Agenda
Beyond the goalkeeper role, Arsenal legend Paul Merson urged Chelsea to retool their attacking options. He advocated reintegrating Nicolas Jackson into the squad, positioning the forward as an upgrade on loan signing Liam Delap. Merson praised Alonso's appointment, noting the manager commands respect—a stark contrast to Chelsea's managerial instability last season.
"They need a manager who the fans are grateful that he's managing Chelsea," Merson stated. With Alonso now holding the reins, the expectation is clear: overhaul the goalkeeper position, refresh the squad, and execute the clear-out necessary to restore Chelsea to European contention. How quickly Alonso can implement these changes will define his early success at the club.
