Chelsea are set to cut their losses on goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with owner Todd Boehly reportedly willing to absorb the cost for Roman Abramovich’s error in the transfer market. The Spaniard joined the Blues in a world-record deal from Athletic Bilbao five years ago but struggled to live up to expectations in the Premier League, and he is now set for a swift exit that will see Chelsea register a massive £50million loss.
The Spain international joined Real Madrid on a season-long loan towards the end of the summer transfer window after the La Liga outfit lost Thibaut Courtois to an ACL injury. Ironically, Courtois was the shot-stopper Arrizabalaga replaced at Stamford Bridge in 2018.
Chelsea allowed the 29-year-old to join the Spanish giants but did not negotiate a buy option in the deal. However, Boehly is set to green-light a deal that will see him sign for Madrid on a permanent basis – and it will prove to an expensive deal in the accounting books.
According to The Sun, Real are standing firm on their valuation of the goalkeeper and are not willing to pay more than £17.5m (€20m) for Arrizabalaga, whose £200,000-a-week contract is set to expire in 2025.
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That represents more than a £50m loss for Chelsea, after paying £71.6m for Arrizbalaga in August 2018 in a deal negotiated by Abramovich’s right hand, director Marina Granovskaia.
Arrizabalaga’s impending move to the Santiago Bernabeu will bring an end to his four-and-a-half-year spell in London, where he made 163 appearances and won the Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
But news of his potential departure will not come as a surprise to Chelsea supporters, after Arrizabalaga vowed to stay with Madrid beyond his loan spell despite facing the prospect of returning to the club in the summer.
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He also claimed that Mauricio Pochettino wanted to keep him as his No 1 before the Argentinian boss signed Robert Sanchez, but couldn’t turn down Madrid’s advances.
“It’s true that Pochettino wanted me to stay and he told me that I was going to play, that he trusted me. But I thought a change would be good for me. I wanted a change,” he said in September.
“Thomas Tuchel called me. We were close to going to Munich. I felt it was time for a change of scenery. I wanted to stay but I felt that the project was not the right one.
“When Madrid calls you, everything changes. My signing was closed in just a few hours and a couple of calls. My intention is to stay for more than a year.”
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