Kepa Arrizabalaga has begun a significant exodus of surplus Chelsea players in the final 48 hours of the transfer window by joining Bournemouth on a season-long loan.
The Spanish international remains the most expensive goalkeeper in history following his £71 million ($94 million) transfer from Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea in 2018. Despite this, he has struggled to secure the number one spot at Stamford Bridge and spent last season on loan at Real Madrid.
During his time with the Spanish giants, Kepa made 20 appearances as they won both the Champions League and La Liga. However, he lost his place to Andriy Lunin and later to Thibaut Courtois upon his return from injury.
In Chelsea’s overcrowded squad of over 50 players, Kepa was one of seven senior goalkeepers on the roster.
Neill Blake, the chief executive of Bournemouth, commented, “We are delighted to bring a player of Kepa’s calibre to Bournemouth. We were aware of his availability and seized the opportunity to bring him to the club on loan.”
Other prominent Chelsea players, such as Romelu Lukaku, Raheem Sterling, and Ben Chilwell, could also be on the move before Friday’s transfer deadline, having been informed by head coach Enzo Maresca that they will not feature this season.
