Chelsea's Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga warms up before the UEFA Champions League first round Group E football match between Chelsea and Sevilla at Stamford Bridge in London on October 20, 2020. (Photo by Mike Hewitt / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MIKE HEWITT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
In a recent interview (h/t Mirror), Chelsea manager Frank Lampard remained coy when he was quizzed about the future of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga at the club.
The record signing has been on the fringes this season after some calamitous displays in goal. Edouard Mendy was brought in and has taken the number one spot in the side this season. Lampard just said that they will see how January goes when asked about Kepa.
It is never easy bearing the tag of the costliest player in your position. Kepa has had to bear that tag for over two years now as it hangs like a weight on his neck. He has looked utterly short of confidence in recent times.
Shots slipping through his gloves, fumbling the ball when trying to claim it, parrying it into dangerous areas. These are just some of the glaring errors he made on a regular basis over the past couple of seasons.
As expected, the scrutiny levels only increased after every game. It feels like the keeper needs to move away from the glaring spotlight of the Premier League. The bigger picture here is that Chelsea have already got a classy shot-stopper in Edouard Mendy, who they signed this season. After his arrival, he has usurped Kepa’s position and rightfully so.
The former Rennes man is a cool customer between the sticks and has already endeared himself to the fans with his performances so far. At 26, Kepa will still command a good resale value. While it looks that Chelsea might not be able to recoup the entire £72m they shelled out for him, he can still fetch a decent amount.
It might seem that Chelsea are giving up too soon but Kepa has been afforded more than his fair share of chances and he has hardly shown improvement. Each game has been one disaster after the other. With Chelsea still harbouring wishes of signing another player in January, it would make sense for them to axe Kepa to raise some funds.