Arsenal go with a sensible backup keeper in Kepa Arrizabalaga

It isn't flashy or betting on the future but it works

Arsenal might have their first deal of the summer close to completion, and it is in a position that will make no one unhappy at all… Backup goalkeeper.

David Ornstein of The Athletic is reporting that Arsenal are close to finalizing a deal to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea. With a £5 million release clause, the transfer fee is modest, making this a cost-effective move to secure a reliable deputy for David Raya.

Kepa’s willingness to accept a reduced role is evident from his recent career moves. Before his loan to Bournemouth, he also took a significant salary cut, reportedly around 50% of what he was earning previously, easing concerns about inflated wages for a backup goalkeeper.

Initially, Arsenal were linked with Espanyol’s Joan Garcia, viewed by much closer watcher’s of goalkeepers than me, as one of Europe’s most promising young goalkeepers. He had a below-market release clause of £25 million making him an exciting potential move and making this deal seem much more mundane. The latest reports suggest that Garcia is set to move across Catalonia to Barcelona, preferring a move that would give him an opening to being the number 1 keeper from the start compared to the situation where he would be the deputy to David Raya at Arsenal.

With the first choice going elsewhere and the team content to go with Raya for the medium term, picking a player who has a reasonable transfer fee and wage demands while still showing that he is a capable player should he be called upon makes a ton of sense.

Arsenal have a busy summer in store for themselves. By all accounts they plan on bringing in 3-5 new first team players in addition to the backup keeper role and these are likely pretty expensive and complicated deals and the last thing that would be needed is mixing in a backup keeper move during crunch time for getting those deals over the line.

With Kepa Arsenal are getting a pretty fine keeper and really over the last few seasons a keeper that has been even more than that.

Kepa brings more than just adequacy to the role. Public perception of him often lingers on his £71.6 million move to Chelsea in 2018, when he became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper. The lofty price tag set unrealistic expectations, and his first two seasons were a beautiful disaster to watch as a rival, marred by errors and inconsistency, ultimately leading to his replacement by Edouard Mendy.

This has fueled the narrative of Arsenal signing another “Chelsea reject,” a trope that unsettles some fans. However, this overlooks Kepa’s recent trajectory and performances. He hasn’t been a regular at Chelsea for two seasons, and with Chelsea’s strategy of hoarding young talent, many players will have a Chelsea stint in their past and perhaps we will need to get over that.

Kepa’s career since 2022 paints a different picture. In the 2022-23 season, he performed admirably in a struggling Chelsea side, proving he was far from their biggest issue. His 2023-24 loan at Real Madrid saw him serve as a capable understudy to Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin, contributing to La Liga and Champions League triumphs making 20 appearances. Most recently, at Bournemouth in 2024-25, Kepa excelled as their primary goalkeeper, recording 8 clean sheets in 31 Premier League matches and a 73.9% save percentage.

This season, Kepa has been a reliable shot-stopper, saving slightly more goals than expected based on post-shot xG metrics.

He saved a few more goals than expected and there doesn’t seem to be anything that looks like a red flag here for him. His long shot stopping isn’t always perfectly consistent but this season it didn’t seem to be an issue for him where he let in just two goals scored from 35 shots on target faced.

As a modern goalkeeper, he’s comfortable with the ball at his feet, fitting Arsenal’s possession-based style, though his passing isn’t elite (but neither is the fee attached). Out of possession, Kepa is proactive as a sweeper, adept at handling balls behind the defensive line, a trait that complements Arsenal’s high line. His primary weakness lies in dealing with crosses, where, despite his 6’2” frame, he struggles to command his area during set pieces and with crosses into his box.

The long and the short of it is, Kepa aligns with Arsenal’s need for a seasoned backup after Neto’s loan return to Bournemouth and he looks like he would be a better option should Arsenal need to call upon him. His familiarity with the Premier League, ability to play out from the back suit Arsenal’s possession-based style, along with him having played the number two role previously. At 30, he’s still in the not particularly worried about him losing too much athletically for a goalkeeper zone and should fill the need at backup keeper in the short to medium term.

All of this points to a low-risk move for Arsenal, he fills a need and does so at a reasonable price with a pretty high floor for the expectations of what you need in this spot.