On Monday, Real Madrid and Chelsea FC agreed to a season-long loan for Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spanish goalkeeper will join the Madrid-based club until June 30, 2024.
Kepa has been brought in to replace the injured Thibaut Courtois. Courtois, 31, will be out for a couple of months after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a training session last Thursday.
👋 @kepa_46 👋#WelcomeKepa pic.twitter.com/z9kvorhkT7
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 14, 2023
Kepa has won the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, Europa League and European Super Cup during his 5 seasons with Chelsea. He also won the Premier League’s best save award for the 2022-2023 season.
Kepa is a Spanish international who won the 2023 Nations League as well as the Under-19 European Championship in 2012.
Arrizabalaga moved to Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 for an 80 million euro goalkeeper transfer record, however, the London club lost interest in him and this summer signed goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Bayern Munich is reportedly interested in him as they look to replace injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but Real Madrid moved quickly to close the deal.
In fact, Courtois joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2018, having won 2 Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and the League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
He was voted Player-of-the-Match after one of the best goalkeeping performances in a European Cup final in the 2022 Champions League final. Courtois made nine stops to deny Liverpool in Paris, helping Real Madrid to a record-extending 14th European title with a 1-0 victory.