Serie A giants Napoli and Lazio are vying for a move for Kepa Arrizabalaga in the summer, with Chelsea ready to allow the goalkeeper to leave.

According to Fichajes, Kepa Arrizabalaga could exit Chelsea in the summer with Serie A sides Napoli and Lazio interested in his services. The most expensive ‘keeper in the world has no secure place in the starting lineup at Stamford Bridge, so he would be keen on pursuing other options to further his career.

When the summer window opens, it will be four years since Chelsea broke the world transfer record for a goalkeeper when they paid a stunning £72 million for Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spaniard was understandably the long term option the Blues wanted to replace outgoing star Thibaut Courtois, although things haven’t gone to plan.

After a good first season, where Kepa was the undisputed first-choice under then-manager Maurizio Sarri, things began to unravel after a high profile quarrel between the pair. The keeper refused to heed Sarri’s commands to be substituted during the Carabao Cup final, which may have damaged his reputation with the fans to a level. However, that’s when his downfall began.

While managing to keep his place under Frank Lampard for a significant period, Kepa was relegated to the bench since the arrival of Edouard Mendy. The Senegal international has usurped the Spaniard’s place and rendered the record signing a permanent fixture on the substitutes’ bench.

Set for a return to Spain? (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Set for a move to Italy? (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

There seems to be no future for Kepa at Chelsea, with the club ready to cut their losses and allow a departure in the coming summer window. Meanwhile, in January, when Mendy was away with Senegal at the AFCON, Kepa was allowed regular game time and performed admirably, which may eventually help the Blues exact good value for him in the market.

There is interest from Serie A, with Lazio and Napoli vying for his signature. Both sides are looking to replace their existing no.1 choices, with Spaniard considered a long-term option. Over in Rome, a reunion with former Chelsea boss Sarri could be a possibility and a somewhat logical option.

However, Napoli will be keener to replace their Colombian keeper David Ospina, whose current contract in Naples expires at the end of the season. Juventus, looking for a new shot-stopper, could also be interested, although financial problems could stop Bianconeri from pursuing a move.

As things stand, Kepa has no future at Chelsea, where he will be playing second fiddle to Mendy for the foreseeable future. A move away from Stamford Bridge could be the only logical solution for a ‘keeper of his standard, who harbours hope of a recall into the Spanish national side come the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.