Arsenal are considering making a move to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea as they look to bring a reliable backup goalkeeper to the club.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday evening that the Gunners are 'informed' on the Spaniard having a £5m release clause in his contract and are said to have held initial talks to be made aware of the conditions surrounding a potential deal.
Kepa moving to north London would see him join a long list of players who have swapped the blue of Chelsea for the red and white of Arsenal and while plenty haven't worked out well, this could end up being a smart piece of business.
Arsenal considering a deal for Kepa Arrizabalaga
Having fallen out of favour at Chelsea, Kepa has spent consecutive seasons away from west London on loan. He returned to his native Spain as he joined Real Madrid for the 2023/24 campaign before spending this season with Bournemouth.
The Spanish shotstopper's move to the south coast saw him take Neto's position as the Cherries' number one, prompting the Brazilian to move to Arsenal on loan. Kepa impressed during his time with Andoni Iraola's side, keeping eight clean sheets in 31 Premier League appearances. He played a key part in Bournemouth's campaign, which saw them achieve their highest points tally in the top flight (56) and fewest goals conceded (46, 39 of which came with him between the sticks).
Kepa would become the 16th player to move from Chelsea to Arsenal and the second goalkeeper to do so. That list doesn't include the greatest of names, with Petr Cech, David Luiz and Kai Havertz all having mixed spells in north London, while the likes of Willian and Raheem Sterling suffered dreadfully in that part of the capital.
Regardless, Kepa would be a good signing for Arsenal. He has plenty of experience in English football and would be a cheap option for them to bring in as a backup for Raya. Fans really shouldn't turn their noses up at this one!