Expert: Chelsea outcast has matched Marcus Rashford and turned his career around

03/26/2025 01:00 PM

Chelsea hold the key to Kepa Arrizabalaga sealing a permanent move to Bournemouth after his impressive displays on the south coast.

That's according to former Manchester United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected in the game, and exclusively told Football Insider that Bournemouth are keen to keep Kepa.

Kepa’s season-long loan move from Stamford Bridge to the Vitality Stadium has helped to rebuild his reputation at Premier League level, accumulating five clean sheets for Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side.

Robert Sanchez, the Blues’ current number one who has been met with intense criticism this season, has kept the same number so far this season, but it remains to be seen how Chelsea will move forward.

Chelsea loaned Kepa to Bournemouth with no permanent transfer clause or option in place, but with Iraola’s side firmly in the hunt for European football, they will hope that a fee can be agreed this summer.

Bournemouth hopeful of seamless Kepa Arrizabalaga transfer

Although Kepa’s time at Chelsea since his record-breaking £72million move in 2018 has been marred by mistakes and spells spent on the bench, the 30-year-old has discovered a new lease of life under Iraola.

Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, believes Bournemouth will see Kepa as their top transfer target.

“[It’ll be] dependent on what the price is. He seems to have done well for them”, Brown told Football Insider.

“I don’t know what Chelsea’s view on that is, what their goalkeeping situation is. Are they saying ‘we’d like to move him on’, or ‘no, we want him back’?

“It’s like the Marcus Rashford [situation] in many ways; when a player goes on loan, it’s an audition. He’s got a different stage, a different platform. He’s got a different cast around him.

“Now, can he put [away] all the problems that had besotten him before, and go and do the business – he had plenty of problems, he looked a joke [of a] goalkeeper, didn’t he – but he’s gone there and done well.

“He’s done his bit, he’s passed his audition and he’s got the part. That’s the situation as I understand it, but Chelsea would have kept tabs on his performances scouting-wise.

“Bournemouth will have some idea what it’s going to cost them if they want to keep him, and whether they can afford it; if all of those are a no, where are they going to go for another goalkeeper?”

Chelsea set to let Bournemouth complete Kepa transfer

Although the goalkeeping stocks at Stmaford Bridge are hardly in rude health this season, it’s unlikely that Chelsea will see Kepa as their long-term answer after one season of strong form at Bournemouth.

Kepa’s reputation in blue has arguably been tarnished beyond repair, and though Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen haven’t done much to convince Enzo Maresca this term, neither did Kepa in pre-season.

With PSR in mind, Chelsea won’t allow Kepa to leave on the cheap, but seven years on from his £72m move, a fee between £10m and £20m should be enough for Bournemouth to get a deal over the line.

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