The adage "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" often rings true in the beautiful game, and Chelsea currently finds itself a victim of its own doing; fortunately, they've not permanently lost what they had.

The club currently lacks stability between the sticks, but that trouble appears to have a permanent solution at home in a man who was once played there, never lost his place, but only needed the club to learn the difficult way.

Djordje Petrovic will be returning from his loan spell at Strasbourg in the summer, as one of the best goalkeepers in the top five leagues this season, based on the telling data and some hidden statistics.

His first stint at Chelsea was marred by mixed emotions, yet it is easy to say he is the goalkeeper who has captured the hearts of the fans the most in recent times. Here is how the journey began.

The Start to Life at Chelsea

Petrovic was not meant to be the first choice upon his arrival at Chelsea in the summer of 2023. He was considered still crude, given that he was coming from a less competitive MLS.

Eventually, he was handed the opportunity to mount the sticks following the injury to Robert Sanchez during the campaign, and Petrovic ended up making 31 appearances across all competitions, including 23 in the league.

Although he wasn't the best there was, he did save the club severally times and ensured their late surge to secure European football for the new season was a success.

He was decisive in games they won by a goal difference, like the ones at home to Fulham and Palace, while he was also a standout in the one all-draw with Manchester City at the Etihad in February, as the Blues ended a run of four consecutive defeats in their hosts' ground.

Against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, Petrovic made ten saves, the most of any goalkeeper in the competition that season, in a match which Chelsea eventually lost to a Virgil van Dijk header in the second half of extra time.

He won the heart of the fans, but unfortunately not that of the new manager Enzo Maresca, who added one more goalkeeper in Filip Jorgensen, prompting Petrovic to run.

Having been told he has no assured place in Enzo Maresca's team, the former New England Revolution of the Major League Soccer shotstopper decided to look for first-team opportunities elsewhere, and Chelsea chose to keep him within, loaning him to sister club Racing Club Strasbourg.

Djordje Petrovic: A Man Reborn in Strasbourg 

Speaking in an interview with BlueCo model a few days back, Strasbourg technical director Pascal De Maesschalck said on Petrovic;

"Look at him [Petrovic], for example, who came to Racing [Strasbourg] playing at Chelsea last year: it wasn't easy to convince him. He has progressed, he is the goalkeeper who touches the most balls in Europe. The club where he will play next year will have a very good goalkeeper. Thanks to the Racing project."

That's a very strong message out to Chelsea, and their current goalkeeper options in Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, who have both not had the best of seasons so far.

Djordje Petrovic is coming, and the bench will not be an option once he arrives. His move to Strasbourg has been kind to him, and not even Enzo Maresca will turn down the temptation of playing one of the best goalkeepers statistically.

Sanchez was entrusted with the starting role as he was always meant to be the first choice, but the Spaniard soon found himself under scrutiny.

His tenure has been marred by a series of errors leading directly to goals. Notably, Sanchez has committed five errors leading to goals this season, one of the highest in the Premier League.

He has also made eight errors leading to opponents' shots so far, the most of anyone in the league. Such lapses have not only cost Chelsea valuable points but have also eroded the defensive stability the team once prided itself on.

Although Maresca publicly supported Sanchez, acknowledging his contributions in building play from the back, that did not hinder him from replacing him with Jorgensen at intervals, and also making the competition an open one.

"Mistakes happen... I'm happy with how Robbie is playing and building from the back." Maresca once said, however, the recurring mistakes have raised questions about the goalkeeper's reliability.

Jorgensen, who has provided competition, has proven no saint. Although the Dane has kept seven clean sheets in 18 games across all competitions, just one has come in his six Premier League appearances.

He has featured majorly in less competitive games, the domestic Cup and the Conference League, yet hasn't really convinced enough to completely displace a struggling Sanchez from the team.

Meanwhile, Petrovic has been making waves in Ligue 1. His performances have been nothing short of stellar, solidifying his reputation as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe's major leagues.

In 24 appearances, Petrovic has conceded 29 goals, a commendable statistic given the team's overall defensive capabilities.

His consistent displays have not gone unnoticed, with many Chelsea supporters and pundits advocating for his return to Stamford Bridge to become their main shotstopper in the coming season.

Statistically, they couldn't have been wiser. Petrovic stands out as the best ball-playing goalkeeper in all of Europe's top five leagues this season, an aspect where Chelsea's current options are mostly caught out.

He leads the way on touches, passes, completed passes, short passes, and completed short passes. Since playing out from the back has become a thing for many of the top teams in the modern era, ball-playing is considered one of the best skill sets a goalkeeper could have.

Shot-stopping has also improved significantly. The 25-year-old has made 87 saves, averaging 3.6 per 90 minutes, only five goalkeepers have better, and none at a club that sits above Strasbourg on the league standings.

His 29 goals conceded is the fourth-fewest for any goalkeeper with 20+ appearances so far in the league, while Torino's Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who has saved four of five penalties faced, is the only one to have prevented more goals in the top five leagues.

His 75 percent save rate is the best in the league, eight clean sheets rank fourth best, making him neither just one of the stars of the club nor Ligue 1, but the entirety of the top five European leagues.

Looking ahead to what's coming, Chelsea faces a pivotal decision, yet one made easy but how contrasting the season of their different options are currently going, while not forgetting Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is not doing badly at Bournemouth.

With reports suggesting that the club does not intend to sign a new goalkeeper in the upcoming transfer window, the focus shifts to internal solutions, and Petrovic has made himself a leading candidate.

The competition among Sanchez, Jorgensen, and the potential return of Petrovic and Kepa could be the catalyst needed to restore stability between the posts.

Additionally, the emergence of young talents like Mike Penders offers a glimpse into the future, though relying solely on unproven prospects carries its own set of risks.

While Petrovic may have been physically absent from Stamford Bridge in the last months threatening year, his shadow looms large over Chelsea's current goalkeeping challenges, and he is odds-on to make a return and stabilize the situation.