Arsenal have been informed of a £5million release clause for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who cost the club £72m in 2018.
The 30-year-old spent the season on loan with Bournemouth and kept eight clean sheets in his 31 appearances in the Premier League.
Despite impressing during his stint at Vitality Stadium, the stopper remains surplus to requirements and the Blues could look to move him on permanently this summer.
The £72m splashed out to snap him up from Athletic Bilbao represented a world record fee for a goalkeeper and Chelsea are braced to take a significant hit.
Indeed, should Arsenal decide to trigger the bargain release clause in his contract, Kepa would move on for a fee 14 times less than his initial move to Chelsea.
Last in action for his parent club in 2023, Kepa will see his current deal run down in 2026. He was also sent out on loan to Real Madrid in 2023, making 14 appearances.
Arsenal have been informed of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s £5m release clause
Mikel Arteta is on the hunt for a new back-up stopper to support David Raya
Kepa spent last season on loan at Bournemouth and impressed, keeping eight clean sheets
Arsenal are on the hunt for a new No 2 to provide back-up to David Raya, who won the top-flight’s Golden Glove for a second consecutive season.
Kepa has played 163 times for Chelsea to date, keeping 59 clean sheets.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has expressed an interest in keeping Kepa at the club but indicated a final decision has not been made.
‘I think it is a matter of negotiating with Kepa himself and with Chelsea,’ said Iraola. ‘I think both sides are very happy with his loan spell.
‘I think he has performed really well, and his character and experience have been very valuable for us. In a really young team, to have someone with his experience of fighting regularly for titles has been really lovely.
‘But we still have Neto, [Mark] Travers and [Alex] Paulsen, so we will see in pre-season what decisions we take. There will definitely be changes in that position.’
Bournemouth stopper Neto, 35, spent last season on loan at Arsenal but will return to his parent side after making just one appearance.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are also in advanced talks with Matteo Tognozzi over a senior recruitment role following the departure of Jason Ayto.
