Kepa Arrizabalaga’s career at Chelsea appears to be over for good. The Spanish keeper has been on a loan journey the past few years that has taken him from Real Madrid to AFC Bournemouth and back to the Premier League. Kepa has been a popular figure with the Cherries and has helped them push for a European place this season.
Due to his good form and the general good vibes he has brought to the usual relegation-threartened club, Bournemouth have reportedly made him their number one transfer target this summer. Football Insider reported that Bournemouth want to make his move permanent but that would hinge on Chelsea agreeing to the fee and Kepa taking a wage cut.
Kepa currently makes £75,000 a week which is near the top end for the Cherries as he is currently their third-highest paid player behind Justin Kluivert and Evanilson, according to Spotrac. Just for comparison, Robert Sanchez is on £60,000 a week and Filip Jorgensen is on £50,000 a week.
This may not seem like all that much for a Spanish international but the other keepers on the books at the club make £20-50k so that is being taken into account. As for Chelsea, there is a reported £5 million option to buy but the Blues would have to agree to that in order for it to happen.
Chelsea may choose to keep Kepa around and sell him to the highest bidder rather than just accepting Bournemouth’s £5m offer for him. Perhaps there is also the option of initiating a player swap plus a fee going from Chelsea to Bournemouth as there are a few players they are reportedly interested in.
Regardless of what happens with Kepa and if he ends up at Bournemouth, his career with Chelsea appears to be over. He had a great run at the club and helped them achieve incredible things like the Europa League and even the Champions League but that chapter is closed.
Right now it is just a matter of time for the transfer to become official, with the destination still to be determined, and then the Kepa era at Stamford Bridge will be over for good. It wasn’t always the most fun but we will always remember the good times and the trophies he helped Chelsea achieve.