Former Aston Villa and Liverpool midfielder Stan Collymore has heaped the praise on Graham Potter for how the Chelsea manager has treated goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Kepa, 28, joined Chelsea from Atletico Bilbao back in 2018 for a transfer fee worth a whopping £72m.
Despite, at the time, being rated as one of Europe’s most talented goalkeepers, the Spanish shot-stopper has endured a tough four years in London.
Struggling to convince any of his previous managers that he was capable of being the Blues’ number one, the 28-year-old has found himself frozen out and facing a very uncertain future.
Following the club’s decision to sign Edouard Mendy, who has gone on to be a sensational signing, Kepa’s struggles were amplified.
However, one person who feels the Spaniard has been handed an unlikely career lifeline is Collymore, who believes new boss Potter deserves huge amounts of credit for creating a more ‘competitive environment’.
“Kepa is a player who is benefiting from Potter’s arrival,” Collymore said in an exclusive interview.
“He’s started in Chelsea’s last two matches and he’s playing well. This is another great decision from Potter. He’s come in and said ‘look lads, I am here now, so everyone has a clean slate – impress me.’
“In Kepa’s situation, he was written off very early into his Chelsea career and Potter has come in, opened his door, put his arm around him and has now created a competitive environment among the club’s shot-stoppers, and the biggest winner out of this situation is not the goalkeepers or the manager, it’s the football club, so fans should be really pleased with how Potter has handled this since he arrived.”
Do you agree with Collymore’s comments? – Should Kepa be Chelsea’s number one? – Let us know in the comments.
Kepa should not be our number 1 goalkeeper
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Yes, Kepa deserves to be #1 for now. Trade Mendy!!
Kepa deserve #1