Real Madrid to Sign Kepa Arrizabalaga as Replacement for Injured Courtois
August 14, 2023
In a recent report, it has been confirmed that Real Madrid will be seeking a replacement for their injured goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. Courtois, who has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, will undergo surgery and be out of action for an extended period of time.
As a result, Real Madrid has moved quickly to secure the services of Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea. The deal will see Arrizabalaga join Real Madrid on a one-season loan as reinforcement in the goalkeeping position.
Courtois’ injury has forced Real Madrid to search for competition for Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, and they have found their solution in the form of Kepa. The Spanish goalkeeper previously had the opportunity to join Real Madrid in January 2018 but ended up joining Chelsea instead.
Negotiations between Real Madrid and Chelsea were accelerated due to the high demands from Sevilla for goalkeeper Bono. Real Madrid decided to pursue Kepa on loan after facing difficulties in securing Bono’s services, according to ESPN sources.
Kepa joined Chelsea in exchange for 80 million euros in 2018. Although he began as a starter, the arrival of Édouard Mendy saw him being relegated to the bench. However, Kepa managed to regain his place in the starting lineup during the second half of last season.
Following the arrival of new coach Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, Kepa had started most of the preseason games. However, the signing of Robert Sánchez on August 5 changed his situation, leading him to join Real Madrid despite interest from Bayern Munich.
Throughout his time at Chelsea, Kepa featured in 163 games, conceding 175 goals and keeping 59 clean sheets. He has also represented Spain on 13 occasions and was a part of their victorious League of Nations squad in June.
Real Madrid will be hoping that Kepa’s experience and abilities will help fill the void left by Courtois’ absence and maintain their competitiveness in the upcoming season.