According to multiple sources, Arsenal are exploring a move for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as a potential backup to David Raya.
The 30-year-old is reportedly set at £5 million, and the Blues are keen to trim a squad that already includes four senior keepers.
Kepa spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, a deal that allowed Arsenal to take veteran Neto off the Cherries’ hands for a year. The season before, he deputised for the injured Thibaut Courtois at Real Madrid, adding La Liga and Champions League winners’ medals to his collection.
A product of Athletic Bilbao’s academy, Kepa became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when Chelsea paid £71.6 million for his services in 2018. The eye-watering fee – and accompanying seven-year contract – brought heavy expectations, which, at times, he struggled to meet. He was benched in favour of Willy Caballero towards the end of the 2019/20 season, and a year later lost his place to Edouard Mendy. Although he later reclaimed the No.1 shirt under Graham Potter, Chelsea turned to Robert Sánchez for the 2023/24 campaign, paving the way for Kepa’s loan to the Bernabeu.
Arsenal had previously shown interest in Espanyol’s Joan Garcia, but appear to have baulked at the £25 million asking price – a figure Barcelona are reportedly willing to pay.
Beyond that, goalkeeper links have been fairly sparse. With Estonia international Karl Hein back from a season on loan at Real Valladolid, the situation is less urgent than it was 12 months ago when Mikel Arteta had to draft in two teenagers just to stop his outfield players firing shots into an empty net during pre-season training.
While it’s expected that Arsenal will have a very quiet June on the recruitment front, with the deal for Martin Zubimendi likely to be announced in July, there’s no lack of speculation regarding who new sporting director Andrea Berta might target.
In addition to the Benjamin Sesko vs Victor Gyorkeres debate, the Italian is said to be holding conversations with the likes of Rodrygo, Leroy Sane, Morgan Rogers and Greek teenager Konstantinos Karetsas. Nico Williams, a long-standing target, is also in play, although his wage demands make such a deal look difficult.