![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2250689659_59e97c.jpg\")
\n\t\tChelsea boss Enzo Maresca (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tChelsea boss Enzo Maresca (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
Mark Schwarzer<\/a> says he would not be surprised if Chelsea<\/a> pursued a deal for James Trafford in the January window to replace the \u2018inconsistent\u2019 Robert Sanchez<\/a>.<\/p>\n Trafford returned to Manchester City<\/a> in the summer from Burnley<\/a> and looked poised to replace Ederson as the club\u2019s first-choice keeper after the Brazilian\u2019s move to Fenerbahce.<\/p>\n However, those hopes were dealt a blow when City completed a deadline day move for Gianluigi Donnarumma<\/a>, with the Euro 2024 champion joining after being frozen out at Paris Saint-Germain.<\/a><\/p>\n Trafford started the first three Premier League<\/a> games of the season, but has made just three appearances in cup competitions since the end of August.<\/p>\n Reports<\/a> suggest that Trafford has already grown frustrated with his lack of game time and is keen to explore a move in January to bolster his chances of making England\u2019s World Cup squad.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tGet personalised updates on Chelsea every day\t\t\t<\/p>\n Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro\u2019s Football Newsletter. <\/p>\n Sign up to our newsletter<\/a> and then select your team in the link we\u2019ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.<\/p>\n And ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Schwarzer believes his former side could capitalise on the situation and bring the talented Englishman to Stamford Bridge to bolster their goalkeeping options.<\/p>\n \u2018James Trafford for Chelsea? You can\u2019t write anything off,\u2019 he told Joe Fortune<\/a>. <\/p>\n \t\t \u2018I think the thing for Trafford is, I think I\u2019ve met him once or twice, but I think if I were going to give him advice between now and the end of the season with a World Cup around the corner, wherever he goes, he has to make sure he\u2019s playing.<\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s got to go to a club where they are signing him as the number one. And of course, he\u2019s got to perform. <\/p>\n \u2018I think he needs to find a club, even if it\u2019s on loan, between now and the end of the season where he\u2019s going to play week in, week out and prove what a good goalkeeper he is.\u2019<\/p>\n Despite improved performances so far this campaign, question marks still linger over Chelsea\u2019s first-choice Robert Sanchez<\/a>, who signed from Brighton for \u00a325million in 2023.<\/p>\n \t\t And Schwarzer fears that the Spaniard will never be the consistent prescence between the sticks that Chelsea need if they are to contend for and win major trophies in the coming years.<\/p>\n \u2018The problem is his consistency,\u2019 the Australian began. \u2018When you\u2019re at a big club, you need consistency. Look at Manchester United and Andre Onana, Man City and Gianluigi Donnarumma coming in and what he\u2019s done already.<\/p>\n \u2018I will say for Robert Sanchez, I think in the last six months, has improved dramatically. He hasn\u2019t made as many mistakes as he had done previously.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018I think he\u2019s made some big saves. The Club World Cup final, I think for me, was by far the best game he\u2019s ever played for Chelsea. I think obviously there\u2019s still some way to go.<\/p>\n \u2018I think playing out from the back, with his feet at times, he\u2019s been caught out. He\u2019s made some poor decisions with his distribution. It\u2019s tried to call them out this season as well. So that\u2019s something that he still needs to very much work on and improve upon.<\/p>\n \u2018I think for a club that are going to win things, I know they won the Conference League last season, not that Robert Sanchez played in those competitions, and they won the Club World Cup, but I think consistently, if you\u2019re in the Champions League, you want to win the Premier League, you\u2019re going to have to have a top, top-class goalkeeper.\u2019<\/p>\n Schwarzer continued: \u2018I just don\u2019t feel like he\u2019s at that level. Look, there\u2019s a chance that he can get there, but I think he\u2019s still got some way to go. <\/p>\n \u2018And of course, when you\u2019ve had a pretty average start at the club, even if you play well for the next six months, the minute you make another mistake, people straight away get on your back.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019ve noticed it with Robert Sanchez, the minute he makes a poor decision with his distribution, fans are on his back and it\u2019s because he\u2019s done it too often, I think, in a Chelsea shirt.<\/p>\n \u2018That\u2019s been one of the problems and it\u2019s been a position that I think so many people have thought that Chelsea would look to strengthen every transfer window, and they haven\u2019t.\u2019<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Manchester](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2247902184.jpg\")
\n\t\tJames Trafford has struggled for game time this season (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Atalanta](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2251451589.jpg\")
\n\t\tRobert Sanchez still has his doubters (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"FBL-ENG-PR-EVERTON-CHELSEA\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2190445341.jpg\")
\n\t\tEnzo Maresca has been tipped to replace Sanchez (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
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