In what comes as a potential boost to Tottenham’s hopes of snapping up Robert Sanchez, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi left the goalkeeper out of his starting eleven for the Seagull’s clash against West Ham United on Saturday.
Tottenham are thought to be on the lookout for a goalkeeper who is good with the ball at his feet and can make good decisions under pressure, with The Daily Mail reporting in January that Sanchez is one of the options that fits the bill for the North London club.
Football.London’s Alasdair Gold revealed two weeks ago that the Brighton number one is part of Spurs’ four-man shortlist to replace Hugo Lloris in the summer, alongside Giorgi Mamardashvili, David Raya and Mike Maignan.
Amidst the transfer speculation, De Zerbi decided to leave the Spaniard on the bench and handed Jason Steele his first Premier League start of the season on Saturday.
Speaking after his side’s 4-0 win over the Hammers, the Italian insisted that Steele was playing better than Sanchez at the moment.
When asked why he left out the 25-year-old, De Zerbi told The Argus: “I am sad for Robert because with him I have one of the best relationships.
“I spoke with him yesterday but I think my job is to be a coach.
“You have to be honest and clear and Jason now is playing better than Robert.
“Robert is playing well but Jason was fantastic in the build-up, for example, in my style.
“Maybe he is closer than Roberto to my style. But I think Robert can work to arrive at the same level.
“Okay, there are different characteristics, I understand, but Robert is a good guy and I think he will want to improve in this aspect.”
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De Zerbi saying Steele is better than Sanchez in build-up play is certainly not a ringing endorsement of the Spaniard’s ability on the ball.
If as reports indicate, that is one of the characteristics that Spurs are looking for in Lloris’ successor, then perhaps this will count as a mark against the 25-year-old.