Amid ongoing speculation linking Thibaut Courtois with an exit from Chelsea, it’s claimed that the Blues have agreed a fee for Kepa Arrizabalaga.
As per BBC Sport, the Belgian international has failed to report for training this week as he continues to be paired with a move to Real Madrid.
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Given the fact that he is a fundamental part of Chelsea’s side, it’s imperative that Maurizio Sarri identifies a replacement first before allowing him to leave in order to avoid being left short between the posts with the new Premier League campaign just days away.
According to The Telegraph, the Blues appear to have settled on their man as it’s claimed that they’ve agreed on a whopping £71m fee for Athletic Bilbao ace Kepa, which will eclipse the £67m spent by Liverpool on Alisson earlier this summer, as noted by Sky Sports, to become a world-record fee for a goalkeeper.
The 23-year-old has made just 54 appearances for the senior Bilbao side, although he has featured prominently for Spain at various youth levels too as well as earning his first senior cap last year.
In turn, he does have a promising future ahead of him and aside from his goalkeeping qualities, he possesses technical ability too, which is seemingly a requisite for any top ‘keeper in the modern-day game.
It’s added by AS that Kepa is currently in Madrid as the relevant parties push to close the deal while it’s even suggested that the Spaniard could be unveiled by Chelsea as early as Wednesday or perhaps on Thursday ahead of the transfer deadline for English clubs.
Sarri would undoubtedly have preferred to keep his best players at Chelsea ahead of his first year in charge of the Premier League giants. However, if the Courtois exit is forced upon him, the club appear to be ready to show that they’re willing to back him if the £71m signing of Kepa is completed.