Kepa Arrizabalaga has joined Spanish giants Real Madrid on a season-long loan from Premier League giants Chelsea.
Real Madrid rushed to the market to sign a new goalie after Thibaut Courtois suffered an ACL injury in training on Thursday which is expected to keep him out for most of the season.
The Spanish outfit posted on their official website, saying: “Real Madrid CF and Chelsea FC have agreed on the loan of the player Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is linked to the club this season, until June 30, 2024.”
“In his five seasons at Chelsea, he has won one Champions League, one Club World Cup, one European Super Cup and one Europa League.”
“This year, he has received the award for the best save in the Premier League for the 2022/2023 season.”
“Kepa is an international with the Spanish team, with which he has been proclaimed champion of the 2023 Nations League. With Spain, he also won the U19 European Championship in 2012.”
Kepa Arrizabalaga will be formally presented as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday afternoon, August 15, in Spain.
Sanchez signed for Chelsea in a £25m deal from the Seagulls earlier this month and was in the starting line-up as Chelsea shared spoils with Liverpool on Sunday.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has featured in 163 matches for Chelsea and was handed the captaincy last season.
However, following the arrival of new boss Mauricio Pochettino, he has become a surplus to requirement and will now work for a season under former Chelsea head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Chelsea also released a statement in regards to Kepa’s move, saying: “The club wish him well for the season ahead in Madrid, where he will work with former Chelsea head coach Carlo Ancelotti.”
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Kepa Arrizabalaga Revuelta is a Spanish footballer who was born on 3 October, 1994 and plays as a goalkeeper for Chelsea (now on loan at Real Madrid) and the Spain national team.
Kepa Arrizabalaga started his career as a goalkeeper at Athletic Bilbao in Spain. But before then, he had played for Basconia and joined Ponferradina and Real Valladolid on successive loans between 2011 to 2016.
Kepa Arrizabalaga later went back to Bilbao and started playing regularly for the first team.
In 2018, he moved to Chelsea for a transfer fee worth £72 million (€80 million), setting a record as the most expensive goalkeeper.
However, the record was broken when Liverpool signed their current goalkeeper Allison.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was a replacement for Thibaut Courtois who joined Real Madrid after an outstanding spell at Chelsea. The Spanish goalie made his Premier League debut three days later in a game against Huddersfield Town.
Since joining Chelsea in 2018, Kepa has won the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup mostly from the bench.
