Kepa Arrizabalaga "ticks so many boxes" for Arsenal ahead of his likely £5m move from Premier League rivals Chelsea, expert Charles Watts has told Sports Mole.
The Gunners are understood to be on the verge of signing the world's most expensive goalkeeper for an extreme cut-price fee, taking advantage of a paltry release clause in his contract with their London rivals.
Kepa will arrive to provide cover for and compete with established number one David Raya following Neto's return to Bournemouth, and he is expected to pen a long-term contract with Mikel Arteta's side in the coming weeks.
Arsenal quickly turned their attention to Kepa after Barcelona won the race for £25m-rated Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, but the Chelsea goalkeeper is a far more preferable signing in Watts's eyes.
“It’s a really good, shrewd piece of business," Watts said. "Joan Garcia would have been a very exciting signing, but the price tag always made it feel a bit strange. Why are you spending that amount of money on a number two? Why would Garcia want to be David Raya's understudy given the season he's just had and the clubs that are interested in him?
“You felt like that might become an issue quite quickly for Garcia. We had it with Ramsdale and Raya, we didn't want that starting up again. The way Arsenal pivoted so quickly to seemingly get this Kepa deal - obviously we have to say it's not done yet but looking like it is going to happen - for £5m, it seems mad that you're getting the world's most expensive goalkeeper for £5m.
“Kepa's had his issues since he arrived in England; he struggled to deal with that price tag, certainly didn't set the world on fire when he was at Chelsea, but since those early days he's matured into a better goalkeeper. We saw what he did at Bournemouth, fantastic season.
“I have seen people complaining about this; if you complain about this deal, I don't know what makes you happy when it comes to transfers, because it's just an absolute no-brainer. £5m for a keeper of that experience to come in and be number two, only 30, it ticks so many boxes.”
'Kepa must feel like part of the furniture at Arsenal'
Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on December 26, 2024
Kepa had made a name for himself at Athletic Bilbao before joining the Blues for an unprecedented £29m in 2018, but he failed to live up to his price tag at Stamford Bridge and was quickly usurped by Edouard Mendy in between the posts.
The Spaniard did briefly revive his Blues career in 2022, but not to the point of re-establishing himself as their long-term number one, and he has since turned out for Real Madrid and Bournemouth on loan.
Kepa was only on the periphery of the Blancos team at the Bernabeu, but he excelled in a Bournemouth kit, managing eight clean sheets in 31 Premier League games as the Cherries set a couple of club records.
Bournemouth achieved their best-ever Premier League points return (56) and conceded their lowest number of goals in the competition (46) last term following the temporary exit of Neto, whose only Arsenal appearance saw him culpable for Girona's goal in a 2-1 Champions League win.
Asked if he would have more confidence with Kepa in goal over Neto if Raya was ever out injured for a spell, Watts added: "He’s more than adequate as a Premier League goalkeeper so I wouldn't have too many issues. The key thing is going to be making sure he plays enough minutes, because I think Neto was unfairly judged on that one performance because he just hadn't played any football for so so long.
“That wasn't an ideal deal; he's cup tied for the Carabao Cup, which are basically the only games he was brought in to play, it just makes it really difficult for him. When he did finally get thrown in, it was his first game in six months, so it's key that Kepa does play quite a bit. Definitely the cup games, maybe some early Champions League games just to make sure he feels like part of furniture.
“In terms of criticism I purely think it's down to the Chelsea connection; people have said to me, imagine if you'd gone to Bournemouth and taken their first choice for £5m. Everyone would be hailing that deal saying it's a fantastic piece of business, but just because he's a Chelsea player, I think that scar tissue Arsenal fans have got with some of the Chelsea deals that happened in the past clouded their judgement.
“I really think it's a good deal, and to answer your question I'd have no issue with him coming in. I hope we don't see much of him! That's no slight against Kepa; I just don't want anything to happen to David Raya, he's such a fantastic goalkeeper, but if something does then I think Arsenal will be pretty well set with Kepa as the number two.”
Should Arsenal be concerned about Kepa EFL Cup final outburst?
Kepa Arrizabalaga in action for Bournemouth on August 31, 2024
Kepa will join the Arsenal ranks at a time where the Gunners could lose several of their experienced heads, as Neto is one of a few players aged 25 and over who have either left or could seek pastures new.
Jorginho and Kieran Tierney have also departed on free transfers, while Thomas Partey is yet to agree a contract renewal and could leave for free at the end of the month.
Watts is therefore optimistic that Kepa can replace lost experience in the dressing room and also played down concerns about the Spaniard's character following the 2019 EFL Cup final incident, when he refused to be substituted before Chelsea lost to Liverpool on penalties.
“He’ll certainly add experience," Watts added. "He’s a Champions League winner, as well obviously didn't play in the final, but he won the trophy. Arsenal are losing quite a bit of that leadership and experience in the dressing room this summer, he will hopefully bring that.
“I've seen people question his personality or his character, pointing back to what happened in that Carabao Cup final, but I don't really buy into that. He was young, he was just over here with the weight of the price tag hanging over him and a massive game suddenly he's been being brought off.
“He obviously lost his head a little bit, but it was a long time ago. He’s matured into a very good goalkeeper, he's shown he's an able understudy, he did that at Real Madrid and was number two for a fair while at Chelsea without really kicking up too much of a fuss. A really good signing all round.”
Kepa's arrival should precede at least three outfield signings for the Gunners, who are also pursuing a new defensive midfielder, number nine and left-winger in the summer market.
A £51m deal for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi should go through in the next few weeks, and the club are also believed to be intensifying their efforts to capture Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.
> Click here to listen to the full discussion regarding Kepa's transfer to Arsenal
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