Official: Kepa Arrizabalaga joins Real Madrid

Kepa Arrizabalaga has joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in a season-long loan deal, with Los Blancos not having a purchase option.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is now officially a Real Madrid player. The Spanish giants have made an official statement to announce that they have secured the services of the Chelsea goalkeeper. The 28-year-old joins Los Blancos on a season-long loan deal without any option to sign him permanently next summer.

Kepa Arrizabalaga rose to prominence during his spell with boyhood club Athletic Club. That is when he first attracted interest from Real Madrid, who attempted to sign him in January 2018. A deal back then would have cost Los Blancos only €20 million. But the Basque outfit kept hold of the Spaniard, who signed a new contract with a release clause of €80 million.

Meanwhile, the Merengues ended their interest in the 28-year-old and set their sights on Thibaut Courtois, who arrived from Chelsea half a decade ago. As for Kepa, he moved to Chelsea in a deal worth €80 million after the West London club triggered his release clause.

Since then, the Spanish international has been on a rollercoaster ride with Chelsea. While he has been the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper in two seasons, he had to share game time in other campaigns. But Kepa entered the 2023/24 season as the primary choice to feature between the sticks after Edouard Mendy moved to Saudi Arabia.

👋 @kepa_46 👋#WelcomeKepa pic.twitter.com/LXzBjM5Tr4

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) August 14, 2023

However, Real Madrid’s emerging interest last week turned Kepa’s head. The Spanish giants set their sights on the Chelsea goalkeeper after Thibaut Courtois sustained a potentially season-ending knee injury. And while Real Madrid created a wishlist of several shot-stoppers, the former Athletic Club keeper became the priority target.

Los Blancos wasted no time to seal the loan deal to secure Kepa’s services, securing an agreement with Chelsea last weekend. And the 28-year-old has now completed the transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu, arriving on a season-long arrangement.

Meanwhile, the Merengues do not have the option to sign the Spanish international on a permanent deal next summer. So Kepa will return to Chelsea at the end of the 2023/24 season. And it will be interesting to see if he can fill Courtois’s void at Real Madrid this term.