Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri praised the qualities of Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as he reportedly nears a transfer to Stamford Bridge.
AS report that the Blues are set to pay the Spanish shot-stopper’s release clause as he prepares to fly in to London to complete his move to Sarri’s side as a replacement for Real Madrid target Thibaut Courtois.
MORE: Video: Chelsea bizarrely trolled over Thibaut Courtois transfer saga by Euro giants
Kepa has looked an outstanding young talent in La Liga, though some will question paying so much for a relatively unproven player at the very highest level.
However, Chelsea cannot afford to be too picky at this stage as the Telegraph report of Courtois going AWOL from training in an attempt to force through his departure before tomorrow’s transfer deadline.
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Loading ...While it is a big blow to lose a top player like Courtois, CFC fans should be pleased to hear their manager clearly rates Kepa so highly.
Of course, nothing has been confirmed as being a done deal yet, but Sarri was asked about his potential new signing and was quoted on the club’s official Twitter feed as saying he was an admirer of his based on what he’d seen of him in the past.
Sarri is asked about Kepa one more time: 'I saw him one year ago. My first impression was that he is a very good goalkeeper, very young, but very, very good.'#CFCvLyon
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 7, 2018