“He almost leave the Club” Fabrizio Romano reveals major Todd Boehly impact as Chelsea reject star’s exit
Kepa Arrizabalaga, the goalkeeper for Chelsea, was reportedly on the verge of leaving the organization this summer when Todd Boehly stepped in.
Under Thomas Tuchel, Kepa had slipped down the hierarchy and was seen as their backup goalkeeper at the beginning of the season. Last season, the Spanish goalkeeper started just four games in the Premier League.
The 28-year-old paid more than £70 million to join Chelsea in the summer of 2018.
In his first season, he had trouble adjusting to the Premier League and made numerous errors.
Chelsea splurged on Edouard Mendy in the summer of 2020 due to Kepa’s erratic play.
Since his arrival, the Senegal international has started the majority of the games, giving Kepa few opportunities.
Since his hiring, Graham Potter has given Kepa a fresh start, and the Spanish goalkeeper has been outstanding lately.
At the weekend, Kepa saved Chelsea with many outstanding stops against Aston Villa. Kepa is a logical fit because the new Chelsea manager likes goalkeepers with good distribution.
Close to the Napoli move was Kepa.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Kepa was on the verge of signing with Napoli this summer.
Initial plans called for the transfer to be a loan, with the Italian team having the option to make it permanent.
In his exclusive post for CaughtOffside, Romano explains that Kepa was genuinely on the verge of leaving in the summer since Napoli and Chelsea were in advanced negotiations for a transfer.
Todd Boehly ultimately declined a loan proposal with a buy option since he only wanted to move forward with a permanent deal.
There is currently no update on Chelsea’s goalkeeper issue. “Kepa is now performing brilliantly under Graham Potter, but I’m sure Edouard Mendy will also be ready to compete shortly.”
Since David Ospina had recently departed the team on a free transfer, Napoli was looking for a new goalkeeper.
In the end, Salvatore Sirigu, a seasoned goalkeeper, was signed by the Italian team. The 35-year-old goalkeeper was added as a free agent to provide the team’s goalkeeping staff more depth.
At Napoli, Alex Meret continues to hold the top spot for the time being.
The team led by Luciano Spalletti has had a strong start to the year and is presently leading Serie A, as well as topping their Champions League group and being one of Europe’s top scorers.
Chelsea has two competent goalies.
Kepa and Mendy’s simultaneous happiness will be Potter’s challenge at Chelsea.
Mendy is well-liked at Stamford Bridge and the 2021 winner of the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper award.
He has preserved 31 clean sheets in 71 Premier League games. In contrast, Kepa has 83 league appearances and 28 clean sheets.
It’s fair to say that Mendy didn’t quite appear like himself at the start of the current season given Chelsea’s erratic start under Tuchel.
The 30-year-old will now have to contend for his spot in the Chelsea starting lineup after Potter recently removed him from the spotlight.
With four straight victories, the Blues have gotten themselves back on track in the league.
They will end the season with 80 points if they continue to score 2.11 points per game. For reference, Chelsea scored 74 points in the previous season and placed third.
At Stamford Bridge, Potter has had the intended effect and is undefeated through his first six games.
From this point on, though, the games will come thick and fast until the World Cup break.
Due to their upcoming matches against Brentford and Man United, Chelsea will have a pivotal week.