OFFICIAL: Chelsea outcast Kepa Arrizabalaga completes Bournemouth transfer

Tom Weber

29 Aug 2024 10:00 BST
3 min read

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Bournemouth — © IMAGO

Record-breaking Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has joined Bournemouth.

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The Spaniard has once again departed Stamford Bridge on loan. After spending the previous season at Champions League winners Real Madrid, Kepa will now stand between the sticks in front of fewer than 12,000 supporters at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth.

The Cherries have managed to secure the world's most expensive goalkeeper on a one-year loan deal from Chelsea. Ahead of his transfer, Kepa had to sign a new contract in west London until 2026.

The 29-year-old's previous deal would have expired next summer, so Chelsea made the decision to protect themselves against losing him for nothing even if he does not have a future at the club.

The Blues paid a world-record €80 million to prise him away from Athletic Club in 2018 and are keen to secure at least a nominal fee for the Spaniard.

Bournemouth sign Kepa

In Kepa, Premier League minnows Bournemouth have landed an experienced but not flawless goalkeeper after being linked with several high-profile options over the course of the summer.

Initially, it looked as though Andoni Iraola's side would be bolstered by Giorgio Mamardashvili as part of a deal between Valencia and Liverpool, but the Georgian rejected the Cherries and instead remained in LaLiga for another season.

Bournemouth had also been linked with Arsenal No.2 Aaron Ramsdale, who previously played for the club from 2017 until 2020. However, the Gunners' demands always made a move unlikely, with Bournemouth unable to afford a permanent move for the England international.

READ MORE: Latest Chelsea transfer news

The Cherries were in the market for a replacement for Neto, who has been a good servant to the club but who is statistically one of the weaker shot-stoppers in the Premier League.

Whether Kepa, who lost his place to Andriy Lunin at Real Madrid last season, is a dramatic improvement on the 35-year-old Brazilian remains to be seen.