Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea staff surprised by Rob Green transfer - report

Chelsea’s free transfer signing of Rob Green has reportedly left new boss Maurizio Sarri surprised as he was not on his list of transfer targets.

According to a report in The Times, Chelsea’s transfer targets for goalkeeping roles did not include Green, who was out of contract after a season at Huddersfield where he failed to make a single appearance, though he did play once for Leeds United.

The signing was carried out under the initiative of Chelsea’s director Marina Granovskaia, often regarded as Roman Abramovich’s right-hand woman. She tied the 38-year-old goalkeeper down to a one-year contract.

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Green is expected to provide cover for Chelsea’s other goalkeepers, Thibaut Courtois and Willy Caballero. Chelsea have sent out Eduardo and Jamal Blackman out on loan. If Courtois does leave as expected to Real Madrid then the club expect to sign a replacement rather than move Caballero and Green up the pecking order.

The Times reports that Gianluigi Donnarumma, AC Milan’s teenage goalkeeper, and Leicester City’s Kaspser Schmeichel, are under consideration should Courtois depart.

Staff at Stamford Bridge believe that Green has been signed because he qualifies as a homegrown player above other considerations, just as Manchester United may have done over signing Lee Grant from Stoke City. Sarri is less concerned because he does not have overwhelming influence when it comes to the club’s transfer policy.