Chelsea Set Kepa Arrizabalaga Asking Price
By Tom Gott
Chelsea will listen to offers of £50m for under-fire goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer, having accepted that a loss on their £72m investment is inevitable.
The 25-year-old endured a nightmare campaign which saw him make numerous costly errors. He finished the season with the lowest save percentage of any goalkeeper in the Premier League and was dropped for Chelsea's final-day clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In his place, 39-year-old Willy Caballero came in and is expected to retain his place for the upcoming FA Cup final against Arsenal, with Arrizabalaga now seen as expendable at Stamford Bridge.
A major problem with offloading the Spaniard is his price tag. He became the world's most expensive goalkeeper just two years ago and takes home a hefty wage, so finding somebody to take him off their hands is not going to be easy. The Daily Mail state that Chelsea are prepared to take a loss, but of no more than £22m.
Any permanent bids of over £50m will be considered, but Chelsea would also be willing to let Arrizabalaga go on loan if the bidding side commits to paying a significant portion of his wages.
-11 - Based on Opta's expected goals on target data (xGoT), this season, Kepa Arrizabalaga has conceded 11 Premier League goals more than the model would expect the 'average' goalkeeper to concede; the worst figure of any goalkeeper in the division. Worrying. pic.twitter.com/Ds9fcWEiJ5
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 23, 2020
A loan move may the best option for suitors Valencia. It has been confirmed to 90min that the La Liga side are prepared to offer Arrizabalaga an escape route, but affording a deal is a major stumbling block.
If Chelsea can offload Arrizabalaga, the search for his replacement can truly begin. Burnley's Nick Pope and Ajax's André Onana are candidates, and so is Manchester United's Dean Henderson. The Mirror state that Chelsea are weighing up a £55m bid for Henderson, who is unimpressed by the idea of being stuck behind David de Gea in the pecking order at Old Trafford.
The Blues are also interested in a deal for Atlético Madrid superstar Jan Oblak. Nicolò Schira states that Chelsea executive Marina Granovskaia has made contact with the goalkeeper's agent, but Atléti are expected to demand his entire £109m release clause.
A final decision on Arrizabalaga's future is expected to be made after the FA Cup final, but given he will likely not get the chance to win over his critics during the game, all the signs suggest his time at Stamford Bridge is coming to an end.
Even if Chelsea can't find a buyer, they are still expected to recruit a new goalkeeper, which would almost certainly leave Arrizabalaga glued to the bench for the foreseeable future. Not ideal.