Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea.
The Gunners made goalkeeper a priority position to strengthen this summer and have been actively considering options for a new understudy to No1 David Raya for a number of months.
Standard Sport now understands they have moved swiftly to approach agreements with both Kepa and Chelsea to sign the Spaniard, who has a £5million release clause inserted into his current Chelsea contract.
All parties are now expected to finalise his signing.
Arsenal had held interest in the Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, but the 24-year-old now seems likeliest to end up at Barcelona. That prompted the Gunners to consider other options before settling on Kepa.
Kepa spent last season on loan from Chelsea at Bournemouth, where he was the club’s first-choice goalkeeper. Prior to that, he spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Real Madrid once it became clear he did not have a future at Chelsea.
The goalkeeper position is up in the air this summer at Chelsea but it is understood that Kepa, formerly the club’s first-choice keeper, was never a viable option to reclaim that role.
Signed by Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for a £72m fee in 2017, Kepa has represented Spain on 13 occasions at senior level.
