With time ticking away before the transfer window closes on Thursday, Chelsea have added in a new goalkeeper.
Breakups are tough as Chelsea observed out the hard way whilst Thibaut Courtois went lacking from training this week – the soccer equal of ghosting – in a bid to pressure through a flow to Real Madrid.
It appears as if the Belgian stopper will go back to the Spanish capital for £35 million with Mateo Kovacic going the alternative manner on mortgage as a part of the deal.
With little time to go before the transfer window shuts, Chelsea have had to flow on speedy. They will pay a world document £seventy one million to comfortable the offerings of 23-yr-antique Athletic Club keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, a charge which eclipses the £66.Nine million Liverpool shelled out for Alisson remaining month.
What can Kepa deliver to Stamford Bridge? And does he constitute a shrewd long-term funding or a panic purchase on the rebound for Maurizio Sarri’s side?
A promising keeper…
“The reality is the rumours do now not make me anxious. You pay attention them, you notice them, I am no longer blind and understand what is going on round me. But I understand I am who I am for what I do, now not for what human beings say. I try to hold a relaxed head.”
Those were Kepa’s phrases after making his senior Spain debut in opposition to Costa Rica in November, following continued hypothesis that he became on his way to Real Madrid.
If that announcement proven his calmness under stress off the pitch, then he proved it with his performances over the subsequent six months.
There have been strong rumours in the course of the season that Madrid wanted to sign Kepa and have been prepared to fulfill his £17.Nine million buyout clause. It become even mentioned the Athletic keeper had exceeded a medical with Los Blancos in January.
But then Zinedine Zidane poured cold water at the speculation whilst he stated he didn’t need a goalkeeper and turned into reluctant to shake his side up before the summer.
Kepa signed a brand new agreement on the San Mames till 2025 with an €eighty million release clause and that put an stop to any extra rumours.
...With a fab head
Kepa seemed unfazed at the pitch in spite of all this raging in the heritage, no suggest feat when gambling for certainly one of Spain’s most historic clubs and the most effective one other than the huge two by no means to had been relegated from La Liga.
The keeper turned into one in all few positives for Athletic in a dismal season in which they eventually finished 16th. He made the third maximum saves from pictures inside the container consistent with Opta (sixty four) and put in a top notch performance against his meant suitors domestic and away at the Santiago Bernabeu, going 176 minutes with out conceding in each ties.
It became also a season in which he made his Spain debut having proven his nice for the duration of the kids classes – he helped the Under-21s to the final of the Euros closing yr wherein they misplaced to Germany – and went to Russia with the senior squad, albeit as backup to David de Gea with Pepe Reina. The reality 2017-18 became best his 2nd marketing campaign as Athletic’s first-choice makes his upward thrust even greater dazzling.
Chelsea, then, are becoming a calm and composed keeper with time on his facet. He has superb reflexes, positional consciousness and leadership traits. Fans may also be grateful to listen he is right within the air, something which De Gea and different Spanish keepers have struggled with upon arriving in England.
He will want all the ones trends in abundance, but, if Chelsea are to neglect Courtois fast.
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