In 2018, Chelsea established a new record for goalkeeper transfers by signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, making him the most expensive stopper at the time. The Blues paid £71.6m to acquire him from Athletic Bilbao. Despite Kepa’s occasional good performances, especially in the previous season, his overall tenure at Chelsea is not considered a resounding success.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Kepa shared the role with Edouard Mendy. Following the arrival of Robert Sanchez from Brighton, and Kepa’s loan move to Real Madrid, Sanchez emerged as the primary choice for Chelsea’s goalkeeper position.
Kepa, during his loan stint at Real Madrid due to Thibaut Courtois’s injury, has performed admirably, with the team losing only one of the 12 games he started. He has openly expressed his wish to join Real permanently once the loan concludes, and according to recent reports from the Sun, Real Madrid might make an early move to secure his permanent signing, potentially in January.
Real Madrid is reportedly offering a transfer fee of only £17.5m for Kepa, a stark contrast to the substantial sum Chelsea paid for him over five years ago. However, they aim to sweeten the deal by including Andriy Lunin, Real Madrid’s backup goalkeeper, in the proposed agreement.
To facilitate the move, Kepa is said to be willing to accept a reduction from his current salary of around £176,000 per week. Chelsea, as per 90min reports, have scouted two high-profile LaLiga goalkeepers, signaling a potential interest in parting ways with Kepa.
While Chelsea seems to have confidence in Robert Sanchez despite recent uneasy moments, whether they would find the £17.5m transfer fee along with Lunin’s inclusion satisfactory remains uncertain.