Ligue 1 side OGC Nice are reportedly eyeing a loan move for out-of-favour Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
According to Foot Mercato, Ligue 1 side OGC Nice are targeting a loan move for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arriazabalaga, who has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge since Edouard Mendy’s arrival.
Nice’s first-choice shot-stopper Walter Benitez is joining PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer and the French side now need a replacement.
Kepa was one of the most promising goalkeepers in world football when he joined Chelsea at a world-record fee for shot-stoppers of €80 million in the 2018 summer window. However, a career that was expected to take off, went in a downward spiral with the Blues having to sign Mendy in 2020.
In the recently-concluded season, the Spaniard made just four Premier League appearances, three of which came when Mendy was on international duties during the Africa Cup of Nations. Kepa is thus getting linked with a summer exit as he aims to somehow find a spot in Luis Enrique’s Spain squad for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
Juventus have reportedly shown interest as they look to replace Wojciech Szczesny. Recent reports have even claimed that Lazio are also keen on signing Kepa and the Spanish international is ready to take a pay cut to join former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri at Lazio.
Newcastle United, who are preparing for a major summer overhaul, have also kept tabs on the Spaniard but they are currently focussing on other positions.
OGC Nice have now entered the list of interested parties, with Benitez departing to PSV after spending five years in France. However, they are currently focussing on a loan deal rather than a permanent transfer. And there is little clarity on whether Chelsea are open to such an option.
This has left Kepa with more than just a handful of options to choose from and the perfect opportunity to revive his career at a club where he will be the first-choice shot-stopper. He still has three years left on his contract with the Blues, who are already working to sign a replacement in Gabriel Slonina.
