Kepa Arrizabalaga has certainly had a turbulent ride since he joined Chelsea back in 2018.
Chelsea broke the world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper by signing Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6m nearly seven years ago.
The 30-year-old shot-stopper had more bad times than good at Stamford Bridge, which has resulted in him spending the last couple of seasons out on loan. He spent the 2023/24 campaign with Real Madrid, while this term he’s enjoyed his time on loan with Premier League rivals Bournemouth.
Even though he’s out on loan, Ally McCoist claims Kepa is the best goalkeeper on Chelsea’s books at this moment in time.
Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga is ‘desperate’ to join Bournemouth this summer
According to The Sun, Kepa is ‘desperate’ to stay on the South Coast as a Bournemouth player after a successful loan spell with them so far.
Apparently, the Spanish keeper would be prepared to take a pay cut on his current £170,000-a-week wages to make the move happen. It is explained that Kepa knows he’s not got a future at Chelsea, where his deal expires in 2026.
The report says that Bournemouth are keen on signing the gloveman permanently and believe a deal could be negotiated for around £25m.
It’s interesting to hear that a Chelsea return isn’t on Kepa’s radar, even though Robert Sanchez is currently struggling as the first-choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge.
| Player | Club | Appearances | Goals conceded | Clean sheets | Saves | Error leading to goal |
| Robert Sanchez | Chelsea | 26 | 30 | 7 | 84 | 5 |
| Kepa Arrizabalaga | Bournemouth | 25 | 33 | 6 | 85 | 1 |
Kepa will soon hold talks about his future as it’s still very much up in the air. If reports are true, it sounds like he could be on his way back to Bournemouth on a permanent basis if they can agree a deal with Chelsea.
It feels like a no-brainer for the Blues to sell the Spaniard in the summer, and they’ll just have to accept they’ll be taking a sizeable loss on what they paid for him many years ago.
In terms of Kepa at Bournemouth this season, it’s been a really good fit for all parties.
Chelsea need clear upgrade on Robert Sanchez
The reality is that Sanchez has underperformed during a couple of years as a Blues player, so we struggle to see the arguement that he deserves a third chance next season.
It’s been reported that head coach Enzo Maresca insists Chelsea sign a new goalkeeper because he needs someone who’s more comfortable with the ball at their feet.
While Kepa isn’t the solution for Chelsea moving forward, we’re wondering if Djordje Petrovic could be. The on-loan Strasbourg keeper has hugely impressed during his time in the French division, so perhaps he deserves another crack in the Blues first team when he returns in the summer.
Petrovic claims he’s improved as a goalkeeper during his time at Strasbourg, including with his ball-playing qualities, so he must come into Maresca’s thinking.
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