Italian club Fiorentina seriously considering making a move for Chelsea outcast Kepa Arrizabalaga
According to a report from Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Fiorentina are considering making a move for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga this month.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was farmed out on loan to Real Madrid last summer after a challenging 2022/23 season and the arrival of goalkeepers Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic at Stamford Bridge. He made 20 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid on loan and won La Liga and the Champions League.
Thibaut Courtois’ long-term injury allowed him a chance to take the No.1 spot for Los Blancos. The Spain international performed decently until he himself got injured. This led to Andriy Lunin stepping in and Kepa managed only one start for the Spanish club after January.
The 29-year-old is back at Chelsea after the expiry of his loan spell at Santiago Bernabeu. Kepa is into the final year of his contract and wasn’t included in the squad for the Blues’ pre-season tour of the United States by head coach Enzo Maresca. This is as clear as an indication that the West London club want to cash him in and get some fee rather than losing on a free transfer in the summer of 2025.
The aforementioned report claims Chelsea are ready to sell Kepa for around €5m this summer. While Fiorentina are interested and seriously considering tabling an offer in the next couple of weeks, they fear Kepa’s wage demands could become a stumbling block for a move to materialize.
The Spanish goalkeeper earns around €9m net per season at Stamford Bridge—which approximately comes down to £150,000 gross per week. This should be too high for a mid-table Serie A side like Fiorentina, and unless he takes a pay cut, a move looks difficult to go through. However, all depends on the Florence-based outfit’s offer to Chelsea for the 29-year-old glovesman.
In recent years, Kepa has lost his place in between the sticks at Chelsea to former No.1 Edouard Mendy and was dropped after substandard displays. Despite his dip in stock, he should find himself lucky to get an opportunity to don the Real Madrid jersey and win major trophies last season.
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The Blues’ acquisition of Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal should be the final nail in Kepa’s career in west London. He is now at a crossroads in his career and must decide quickly where to go next with his time at Chelsea all but over.
The ex-Athletic Bilbao man could start a fresh chapter in his career in Florence with Fiorentina, who are looking for a new goalkeeper to replace Pietro Terracciano. But for the move to potentially happen, Kepa must take a hefty wage cut.
