Kepa Arrizabalaga joined Real Madrid on loan from Chelsea earlier this summer and has revealed the Blues wanted him to stay.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has revealed that he was close to joining Bayern Munich, and Chelsea wanted him to stay at Stamford Bridge as well. In a recent interview with MARCA, the Spaniard said Mauricio Pochettino held talks with him regarding his future and assured him that he was a trusted member of the squad and was going to play for the Blues this season.
However, Kepa decided that he needed the change at this stage of his career. So he decided to pursue a transfer away from Stamford Bridge. Apparently, the 28-year-old goalkeeper was close to a reunion with Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich. Bxut the injury to Thibaut Courtois forced Real Madrid to look for a goalkeeper and they decided to make a move for the Chelsea star.
The 28-year-old has revealed that it is very hard to turn down a club like Real Madrid, and he had very little to think about when they approached him regarding a summer move. The goalkeeper joined the Spanish club on loan and has been a regular for them. It remains to be seen whether he can impress sufficiently over the course of the season and convince Real Madrid to sign him permanently in the summer.
“It is true that, at Chelsea, Pochettino wanted me to stay and he told me that I was going to play, that he trusted me,” Kepa explained before adding, “But I thought that a change would be good for me. I wanted a change.”
“Thomas Tuchel called me. We were close to going to Munich. Due to circumstances such as the injury, unfortunately, of a teammate, the possibility arose [to go to Madrid]. In the end, Real Madrid is Real Madrid. When Real Madrid calls you, there are few things to think about.”
Chelsea have already signed Robert Sanchez as their first-choice goalkeeper, and Kepa is unlikely to get regular game time after he returns to the club next season. Real Madrid need to add more depth and quality to their goalkeeping department, and Kepa could prove to be a superb option for them in the long run.
The Spaniard has been overly criticised since his big-money move from Athletic Club and will be hoping to prove himself in Spain now. Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world and they will look to compete for major trophies this season.
It remains to be seen whether the on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper can help them win the league title. Real Madrid have won four league games on the bounce so far and will look to reclaim the domestic crown from arch-rivals Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have had a disappointing season so far, winning just one of their four league matches. The Blues finished 12th in the Premier League table last season, and it remains to be seen whether they can return to the top four and challenge for trophies under Pochettino this season.
