Arsenal are now ready to sell Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer, after the goalkeeper made it clear he wants to leave.
Unsurprisingly, Arrizabalaga was unable to dislodge David Raya from Mikel Arteta's Premier League squad last season, and has told the club he wants to leave after just one season.
The Spaniard wants to move to a club where regular game time is a guarantee, with the Gunners eyeing former Manchester City star Stefan Ortega as a replacement.
|
Football FanCast verdict |
|
|---|---|
|
Honesty |
Arsenal are unlikely to stand in the way of a move for the goalkeeper, given that it is not a very important role, and the fact that the news comes from The Athletic makes it all the more clear. |
|
Finance |
The Gunners are willing to let the goalkeeper go if there are suitors who pay the £5m release clause in his contract. |
|
Understanding |
The 31-year-old has made just 12 appearances for Arteta's side, with six of those coming in the EFL Cup. Arteta was heavily criticized for not dropping a goalkeeper in the final against Man City, who ended up losing 2-0. |
|
Impact |
With Ortega replaced, Arteta is unlikely to lose much sleep over Kepa's possible departure. David Raya remained number one throughout the campaign, keeping 19 Premier League clean sheets. |
Update on Kepa Arrizabalaga's Arsenal future
According to a report from The Athletic, Kepa has a £5m release clause in his Arsenal contract, and his club are now willing to let him leave if interested parties do not pay the fee.
The former Chelsea man is attracting interest from clubs in Italy and Spain, and could follow Leandro Trossard out the door, with Besiktas agreeing a deal to sign the Belgian.
This is what Mikel Arteta said about Kepa Arrizabalaga
Privately, Arteta may be regretting keeping faith with the 13-capped Spain international in the EFL Cup final, as he made a mistake that led to Nico O'Reilly's opener, which cost the Gunners dearly in a 2-0 defeat.
However, the manager is a big fan of his team-mate and came out with the community to support him after the game, saying: “I would do it again. He deserved to play this game and he was a surprise for us. Mistakes are part of football and anyone can make them.
“I have to do what I think is right, honest and fair. Kepa is a great goalkeeper, and it wouldn't be very good of him to do otherwise.”
Kepa proved he can't be trusted to step up to the plate when needed in the loss at Wembley, so it's no surprise Arsenal have no qualms about sanctioning a cheap move this summer.
