Real Madrid were looking for a goalkeeper. Only days before the start of La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti saw how Thibaut Courtois seriously injured his knee. The Belgian goalkeeper will miss a large part of the season, and it was obviously out of the question to leave the number 1 position to Andriy Lunin, the former Chelsea understudy.
It was therefore necessary to quickly find a quality goalkeeper to replace the Belgian, who has been so decisive in recent years. If the names of David de Gea or Yassine Bounou came out, it was ultimately to Kepa Arrizabalaga that Real Madrid turned. In just a few days, the club from the Spanish capital was able to complete the arrival of the Basque goalkeeper, who had however recovered his position as number 1 during last season at Chelsea.
One season loan
“Real Madrid and Chelsea have reached an agreement for the loan of player Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is now linked to the club for this season, until June 30, 2024”, Real Madrid said in an official statement. According to Iberian media, there is no purchase option in the deal. He will be presented to the press on Tuesday, and will speak for the first time as a Real Madrid player.
In the past, the Merengues had already tried to attract the Spanish goalkeeper into their ranks, especially when he played for Athletic. But at the time, Zinedine Zidane had vetoed, preferring not to recruit a goalkeeper to leave Keylor Navas in a number 1 role. Kepa had therefore gone to Chelsea, where he experienced ups and downs, notably losing his place of holder in selection for the benefit of Unai Simon. This departure to Madrid is a great opportunity…
