Arsenal are reportedly on the cusp of completing a surprising transfer for Chelsea`s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The Gunners are expected to secure the Spanish keeper`s signature by triggering a mere £5 million release clause in his contract with their London rivals. This fee represents a monumental loss for Chelsea, who originally signed Kepa from Athletic Club in 2018 for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper of £71.6 million, meaning a difference of £66.6 million.
Initially, Arsenal had identified Kepa as a prime target to provide competition and backup for their current number one, David Raya. However, the 30-year-old Spanish international, who recently concluded a successful season as the first-choice keeper during a loan spell at Bournemouth, is said to be unwilling to settle for a deputy role under manager Mikel Arteta and intends to compete for the starting position.
Sources indicate that Arsenal are “close” to activating the £5m clause. Kepa had a solid season with Bournemouth, keeping nine clean sheets in 31 Premier League appearances.
Kepa`s contract at Stamford Bridge has just 12 months remaining. In total, he made 35 appearances for Bournemouth across all competitions during his loan.
Since joining Chelsea, Kepa has played 163 times for the club, securing four major honours. Arsenal`s potential £5 million payment is approximately fourteen times less than the fee paid by former Blues owner Roman Abramovich.
Following his loan to Real Madrid where he made 20 appearances last season, Kepa enjoyed a significantly better spell at Bournemouth, contributing to Andoni Iraola’s side achieving the joint sixth-best defensive record in the Premier League.
While Mikel Arteta is reportedly an admirer of Kepa`s ability to play out from the back, which fits Arsenal`s style, there are questions regarding whether Kepa will accept not being the undisputed starter.
Displacing David Raya from the number one spot will be a significant challenge. Since his arrival from Brentford, Raya has secured consecutive Premier League Golden Glove awards and has been fundamental to Arsenal possessing one of the league`s strongest defences, although he currently faces competition from Athletic Bilbao`s Unai Simon for the starting role in the Spanish national team.
Arsenal also have young goalkeepers in their academy, including 16-year-old Jack Porter and 18-year-old Tommy Setford, both of whom made their senior debuts in the Carabao Cup this past season.
