Kepa Arrizabalaga’s seven-year spell at Chelsea is finally set to come to an end, with the goalkeeper closing in on a move to Arsenal.
Chelsea signed Kepa from Athletic Bilbao for £71m back in 2018, which was a record fee for a shot-stopper at the time.
However, the 30-year-old has not been able to live up to his price tag and has had loan stints at Bournemouth and Real Madrid after falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge.
He is now set to leave west London for good, but his Chelsea career was over the moment Enzo Maresca was asked about him back in January.
Enzo Maresca didn’t want Kepa Arrizabalaga back at Chelsea
Chelsea could sign Mike Maignan from AC Milan as early as next week, but there was a point during the last campaign where Maresca was happy to let Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen battle for the position between the sticks.
At the turn of the year, Sanchez suffered a really bad dip in form and Maresca was asked if Chelsea would consider recalling Kepa from his loan at Bournemouth.
In response, the Chelsea manager told the Evening Standard and the rest of the English media: “No, absolutely not.”
If Kepa had any hope of becoming Chelsea’s No.1 again, it died that day. The idea of the Spaniard coming back in from the cold was not something Maresca was willing to entertain, and that has clearly not changed as he moves closer to joining Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal.
Kepa is not the only goalkeeper who could be departing the Blues this summer, though. Sanchez is also at risk of being sold, which seems very likely if Maignan joins the Conference League winners.
Arsenal taking advantage of Kepa Arrizabalaga’s release clause
Kepa’s time at Chelsea will not go down as a success, but he has managed to revive his career at Bournemouth.
He had a very good campaign at the Vitality Stadium, finishing the 2024/25 Premier League season with a 73.9% save percentage. Only three goalkeepers outperformed him in that area, as per FBref.
With a £5m release clause in his contract, according to The Athletic, Arsenal see Kepa as a great market opportunity. Chelsea fans, though, will simply view this as the Gunners taking another unwanted player off their hands.
