Arsenal have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea after triggering his £5million release clause.
The 30-year-old has signed a three-year contract at the Emirates and will compete with David Raya for the first-choice spot.
He has spent the last two seasons on loan at Real Madrid and Bournemouth. The Spaniard brings the experience of being part of two Champions League-winning squads with Chelsea and Madrid, also winning LaLiga at the latter in 2023-24.
Kepa becomes Arsenal’s first signing of the summer, though Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi and Brentford’s Christian Norgaard are expected to follow suit soon.
He told Arsenal’s club website: ‘I’m really, really happy to be here, really excited and looking forward to what is coming.
‘The ambition that is shown in this club, when I talk with Mikel [Arteta] and Inaki [Cana], how much they show me their desire to win… I think we are so close to winning and, hopefully, altogether, we can achieve it.’
Kepa Arrizabalaga has signed for Arsenal on a three-year deal from London rivals Chelsea
Arsenal paid a release clause of £5million to snatch the 30-year-old Spaniard from Chelsea
Mikel Arteta said his team will benefit from Kepa’s ‘wealth of experience’ and ‘hunger to win’
Mikel Arteta said: ‘We are really happy to have Kepa joining us. He is a player we know, having come up against him many times in recent seasons. He brings a wealth of experience, which his teammates will benefit from, and he has a real hunger to win.
‘Kepa works hard and will elevate our levels. I know he will fit in perfectly, already knowing some of his teammates, and we are really excited about his future with us.’
His move away from Stamford Bridge comes seven years after he joined from Athletic Bilbao in a world record £72million switch for a goalkeeper.
He spent two seasons as Chelsea’s number one but lost his place to Edouard Mendy in the 2020-21 campaign and only started playing consistent league football again in 2022-23.
While he racked up 163 appearances for Chelsea across seven seasons there, the defining memory of him in a Blues shirt will come from their ill-fated 2019 Carabao Cup final.
Kepa refused to come off when Maurizio Sarri wanted to replace him with Willy Cabellero for the penalty shoot-out.
But his insistence on staying on – much to Sarri’s embarrassment – did not pay off as Chelsea lost on spot-kicks 4-3 to Manchester City.
He was subsequently fined one week’s wages, though Kepa and Sarri insisted there had been a misunderstanding.
Kepa spent seven seasons on Chelsea’s books after joining from Athletic Bilbao for £72m
After being a deputy at Madrid for 2023-24, Kepa was given a new lease of life at Bournemouth last season and kept nine clean sheets in 35 appearances.
The Cherries had the Premier League’s joint-fifth-best defensive record, conceding 46 goals.
Upon securing his first signing, sporting director Andrea Berta said: ‘We are really excited to have Kepa join our Arsenal family. He is a player with great experience, someone who has already won major trophies, and we cannot wait for him to join the group and help the club win.
‘Kepa knows it is an exciting time to be at Arsenal and we know he is a player who will bring with him a winning mentality. We welcome him and his family to the club, and look forward to him meeting the players and staff, with everyone excited to see him.’
Raya spent last season as Arsenal’s practically undisupted goalkeeper, playing in all bar one fixture.
Aaron Ramsdale had left for Southampton, with Neto taking the number two spot.
