Picture Credit: X
Chelsea and their former goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga have decided to part ways. With Kepa making an exit, he has now joined their rivals Arsenal, signing a three-year deal for a reportedly £5m transfer. With this, the SPanish international ended his seven-year stint with The Blues. During his time at Stamford Bridge, Kepa was part of the squad that won several major trophies, including the Champions League, Europa League, and Club World Cup.
Chelsea had made the signing of Kepa in the year 2018, getting his services from his boyhood club Athletic Bilbao for a reported deal of £72m, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. He later went on to have a successful stint at Stamford Bridge till 2023, where he was loaned out by Chelsea to Real Madrid as Thibaut Courtois was out of the squad due to an ACL injury. He then went on to win some crucial matches with Real Madrid. However, after his loan, he made a return to Chelsea and was loaned out to the Premier League side Bournemouth, where he maintained 9 clean sheets in the season.
Chelsea expresses gratitude to Kepa; wish him best for his future
With Arsenal confirming his signing, Chelsea have expressed their feelings on Kepa’s departure through a post on social media. “Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has departed Chelsea and joined Arsenal. We thank Kepa for his efforts during his time at Stamford Bridge and wish him well in the future,” the club posted on X.
Kepa had some inconsistent runs during the start of the career and was dropped from the squad during the reign of Frank Lampard. However, Tuchel gave some more chances to the 30-year-old to prove his worth and Kepa made full use of it and revived his career and brought it back on track.
