Chelsea has confirmed the £71m signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao, making the 23-year-old the world’s most expensive goalkeeper after he signed a seven-year contract with the west London club.
The move comes as Chelsea also announced the departure of Thibaut Courtois, who will be unveiled at Real Madrid on Thursday subject to agreeing on personal terms and a medical. The Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic has moved the other way on a season-long loan.
Courtois failed to attend training two days in a row after the Belgian international was due to report back from his post-World Cup holiday on Monday, leading to the club ramping up their attempts to find a long-term replacement.
Kepa, a Spanish international who was part of the country’s World Cup squad in Russia this summer, will train with his new team-mates on Thursday and is expected to make his debut in Chelsea’s season opener against Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
The club’s director Marina Granovskaia said: “Kepa is a talent we have admired for a long time and we are extremely excited about his arrival. He has already demonstrated fantastic quality and consistency and will be a big part of any success Chelsea have in the coming years. His long-term contract reflects the belief we have in him and we look ahead to the coming seasons with an enormous sense of optimism.”
Asked on Tuesday for his impressions of the highly-rated Arrizabalaga, Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri responded: ”I saw him one year ago for Naples and my first impression that he was a very good goalkeeper, very young but very good.”
The 24-year-old Kovacic, who played a part in Croatia’s run to the World Cup final this summer, joined Real from Inter Milan three years ago, and despite his exceptional ability on the ball he has struggled to hold down a regular place in the team.
