Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is wanted on loan by Ligue 1 club Nice in the summer, reports Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna. He could be the second major player from Thomas Tuchel’s side to be loaned out this summer after Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan.
🚨Info : Selon nos informations, #Nice veut se faire prêter Kepa Arrizabalaga 🇪🇸, le portier espagnol de #Chelsea.@sebnonda pic.twitter.com/8168te4G9A
— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) June 21, 2022
Chelsea Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga Could Be Loaned to Nice
Nice Hoping to Tempt Chelsea to Sell Backup Goalkeeper
OGC Nice finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season, barely missing out on a top-four finish because of goal difference. The French side wants to improve their goalkeeper position and could tempt Chelsea into loaning him their number two for the upcoming season.
Kepa lost his place as Chelsea’s regular starting goalkeeper since the arrival of Edouard Mendy in the 2020/21 season. He has since prominently featured in cup competitions for the Blues and sporadically in some Premier League games in the absence of Mendy.
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Like Lukaku, Kepa also arrived at Chelsea for a record fee of £72 million from Athletic Bilbao in 2018. However, due to his inconsistency and error-prone nature, the Blues had to invest in another, better goalkeeper in Mendy and Kepa has since been tagged as a flop.
Kepa Arrizabalaga Craving for Regular Minutes
Kepa Arrizablaga isn’t content with the kind of game-time he received at Stamford Bridge last season and is looking for a move. Kepa only made 14 appearances for Chelsea, including four in the Premier League. He is not considered as competition for Edouard Mendy, but more like an alternative option or one to occasionally rotate the number one goalkeeper with.
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The Spanish goalkeeper will definitely be craving regular minutes. While a move to a Ligue 1 club like Nice might look like a downgrade on paper, it’d be better than staying on as a backup at Chelsea. He would be Nice’s first-choice goalkeeper, get to prove himself in Ligue 1 and perhaps attract future suitors as well.
Arrizabalaga Could Be Chelsea’s Second Big Loan Departure
If he agrees to a loan move to Nice, Kepa could be the second major name from Chelsea to be loaned out this summer. Romelu Lukaku’s move to Inter Milan already seems to be set in stone and the Spanish goalkeeper could follow suit with him.
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The Blues are trying to fix their squad up and look into all outgoings before Todd Boehly can start his summer spending spree. Kepa is far from quintessential in Tuchel’s squad, so if Nice can make an attractive offer and he agrees to the move, Chelsea are unlikely to stand in his way.
