Seven years after his record-breaking move to Chelsea, Kepa Arrizabalaga is all but set to end his association with the Blues.
According to The Athletic, the 30-year-old goalkeeper is expected at London Colney this week to finalise a move to Arsenal and potentially join his teammates.
Arrizabalaga is coming off a productive loan spell at Bournemouth. He helped the Cherries finish 9th in the Premier League. They came close to pinching a spot in Europe but ultimately fell short.
The Spanish keeper kept eight clean sheets in 31 Premier League games for Bournemouth.
When he joined the Cherries, Chelsea inserted a £5 million release clause in his contract. Despite his impressive spell, Bournemouth opted against activating his buy clause.
Arrizabalaga was also open to exploring his options, and Arsenal ultimately came calling.
The keeper is entering the final year of his contract with Chelsea. His previous deal was set to run out this summer, but he signed a one-year extension before joining Bournemouth on loan.
Arsenal’s interest in Arrizabalaga was far from surprising. The Gunners have made it a habit of shopping from their capital rivals over the past few years.
Arrizabalaga is set to be the latest in a long line of players to swap Chelsea blue for Arsenal.
The Spaniard initially joined Chelsea in 2018. He joined from Athletic Club in a £72m deal that made him the most expensive keeper in the world.
However, his headline move was marked by plenty of ups and downs. But he ultimately made 163 appearances for Chelsea, keeping 59 clean sheets.
He also won four major trophies with the Blues, including the Europa League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.
Arrizabalaga will provide competition for David Raya at Arsenal, although he’ll likely have to settle for playing second fiddle.
Once the deal is wrapped up, the Spanish keeper will be Chelsea’s fourth summer after Marcus Bettinelli, Bashir Humphreys, and Jadon Sancho, who returned to Manchester United after his loan spell.