Published: 10:32, 14 Aug 2023
Real Madrid has confirmed the arrival of Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spanish goalkeeper will be on loan from Chelsea this season, with Real Madrid having outmaneuvered Bayern Munich.
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After Thibaut Courtois' injury, Real Madrid found themselves in a situation similar to Bayern Munich. The Germans were looking for a replacement for the injured Manuel Neuer and turned to Kepa. He was close to a move to Munich but ultimately chose Real Madrid.
In the summer of 2018, Kepa became the most expensive goalkeeper of all time by transferring from Athletic Bilbao for eighty million euros. He still holds that record. However, his time at Chelsea wasn't a resounding success. The goalkeeper had a difficult start, lost his spot in the starting lineup, regained it last season, but eventually was allowed to leave. His contract in London runs until mid-2025.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti previously mentioned that he didn't necessarily need a new goalkeeper. He expressed full confidence in Andriy Lunin. Therefore, Kepa will first have to compete with the talented Ukrainian goalkeeper for a spot.
