Arsenal are now prepared to sell Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer, after the goalkeeper made it clear he wants to leave.
Unsurprisingly, Arrizabalaga was unable to displace David Raya in Mikel Arteta‘s Premier League line-ups last season, and he has informed the club he wants to leave after just one season.
The Spaniard wants to move to a club where regular game time is more of a guarantee, and the Gunners are eyeing former Manchester City shot-stopper Stefan Ortega as a replacement.
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Football FanCast’s Verdict |
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Credibility |
Arsenal are unlikely to stand in the way of a back-up goalkeeper leaving, considering it isn’t exactly the most important role, and the fact the news comes from The Athletic makes it all the more plausible. |
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Finances |
The Gunners are prepared to let the goalkeeper leave if any interested suitors pay the £5m release clause which is included in his contract. |
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Insight |
The 31-year-old has made just 12 appearances for Arteta’s side, with six of those coming in the EFL Cup. Arteta was widely crticised for not dropping the goalkeeper in the final against Man City, which ended in a 2-0 defeat. |
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Impact |
With Ortega being lined up as a replacement, Arteta is unlikely to lose too much sleep about Kepa’s potential departure. David Raya remained the number one throughout the campaign, keeping 19 Premier League clean sheets. |
Update on Kepa Arrizabalaga’s Arsenal future
According to a report from The Athletic, Kepa has a £5m release clause in his Arsenal contract, and his club are now willing to let him leave if any interested suitors stump up the fee.
The former Chelsea man is attracting interest from clubs in Italy and Spain, and he could follow Leandro Trossard out the exit door, with Besiktas agreeing a deal to sign the Belgian forward.
What Mikel Arteta has said about Kepa Arrizabalaga
Privately, Arteta may regret keeping the faith in the 13-cap Spain international in the EFL Cup final, as he made an error leading to Nico O’Reilly’s opening goal, which cost the Gunners dearly in the 2-0 loss.
However, the manager is a big fan of his compatriot and came out with a public show of support after the game, saying: “I would do it again. he deserved to play this game and has been phenomenal for us. Errors are part of football any anyone can make them.
“I have to do what I think is right which is honest and fair. Kepa is an outstanding keeper, and it would’ve been very unfair on him to do something different.”
Kepa proved he cannot be trusted to step up to the plate when required in the loss at Wembley, so it is no surprise Arsenal have no qualms about sanctioning a sale on the cheap this summer.
