Asmir Begovic has thrown his weight behind Kepa Arrizabalga by backing the out-of-favour Chelsea goalkeeper to "prove everyone wrong".
The Blues signed Kepa from Athletic Bilbao for £71million - a world-record fee for a goalkeeper - in 2018, securing his services on a seven-year contract.
But buying the Spaniard has so far proved to be a costly error, as he has struggled to replicate his impressive La Liga form in the Premier League.
Kepa, 26, has made a string of high-profile errors as Chelsea No.1 - including in the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in September - prompting manager Frank Lampard to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper in Edouard Mendy.
The out-of-form man has not featured on the bench for the Blues in recent fixtures after sustaining a shoulder injury last month.
But Begovic believes Kepa can still be a "huge success" - though it may take a move away from Stamford Bridge for him to live up to his potential.
The former Chelsea shot-stopper told talkSPORT : “I don’t think it’s gone to plan for everyone.
Can Kepa Arrizabalga still turn around his Chelsea career? Have your say here.
“These situations are never straightforward. If you spend a big transfer fee it doesn’t mean everything is going to work out; there are a lot of factors into making a move work and making an impact at a club.
“Mendy has come in and done really, really well, I think he’s really solidified that position. He’s been impressive, he’s been a joy to watch to be honest and he’s someone I really enjoy watching.
“But can Kepa still prove everybody wrong? Possibly. I think Kepa is a really good goalkeeper, he played really well in Spain before his move to Chelsea and it’s obviously been a bit of a tricky time for him.
“He’s got really good quality and I’m sure he’ll be a huge success, whether it’s at Chelsea or somewhere else.
“When you have that equality it’s only going to be matter of time before things turn around for him again in a positive way.”
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