Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is in talks to join another Premier League club on loan, according to a new report.
The Spanish player has become sidelined at Stamford Bridge this summer and wasn’t listed in the club’s official matchday program for their Premier League loss to Manchester City.
Arrizabalaga spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, where he was part of the Champions League-winning team, and was expected to be among the many players leaving Chelsea this summer under new manager Enzo Maresca.
Although no transfer has been finalized yet for the 29-year-old, who was once the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, a deal appears to be imminent.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Bournemouth is negotiating to acquire Arrizabalaga on a season-long loan. The goalkeeper, who has one year remaining on his Chelsea contract, is being considered as competition for Bournemouth’s current first-choice keeper, Neto, who performed well in his initial Premier League season but faced difficulties last year under Andoni Iraola.
Iraola is familiar with Arrizabalaga from their time together at Athletic Bilbao between 2013 and 2015, though they never played together in the first team.
Arrizabalaga is likely among several players who have been excluded from Chelsea’s first-team training and didn’t appear for the club during pre-season.
Maresca has not publicly addressed Arrizabalaga’s situation, but he did explain why Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are training separately from the main squad.
He stated, “We have a large squad, and it’s impossible to give everyone playing time. If they’re seeking more minutes, it might be best for them to leave. I don’t see it as harsh—I’m just being honest.”
He added, “I told Raheem before the City game that it would be tough for him to get minutes with us. As for Chilly, he’s a great guy, but he will have difficulty finding his place with us. If you find this harsh, that’s up to you to decide.”
