{"id":246194,"date":"2018-09-30T16:46:11","date_gmt":"2018-09-30T20:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonfootball.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=246194"},"modified":"2018-09-30T16:46:11","modified_gmt":"2018-09-30T20:46:11","slug":"kepa-arrizabalaga-impulse-buy-or-future-chelsea-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2018\/09\/30\/kepa-arrizabalaga-impulse-buy-or-future-chelsea-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Kepa Arrizabalaga: Impulse Buy or Future Chelsea Star?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chelsea<\/a> signed Kepa Arrizabalaga for a world record fee of \u00a372million from Athletic Bilbao this summer<\/a>, a move that finally allowed Thibault Courtois to get his move to Real Madrid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kepa Arrizabalaga: Impulse Buy or Future Chelsea Star?<\/h1>\n

However, although the addition of the 23-year-old was necessary, there are questions that still hang over him.<\/p>\n

Did Chelsea sign him because they needed a new shot-stopper quickly, or did they see him as a star in the making?<\/p>\n

Kepa\u2019s Stats Favour Him to be a Star<\/h2>\n

There is no doubt that Kepa will need to have huge shoulders with the pressure of the price-tag. It is no secret that the valuation of players is hitting ludicrous sums.<\/p>\n

However, there are reasons as to why they do. Bilbao obviously did not want to lose one of their own stars, but Chelsea were willing to pay that price.<\/p>\n

Kepa has been touted as a great keeper for a while and his statistics for the La Liga outfit go a long way in proving his quality.<\/p>\n

As per Transfermarkt<\/a>, the 23-year-old has conceded just 179 times in 169 appearances during his short career so far.<\/p>\n

Having played over 15,000 minutes of football, he concedes a goal around every 85 minutes, which is some going.<\/p>\n

To add to those impressive stats, he has also made 56 crucial saves in his ten-year career, helping his team to win a number of points.<\/p>\n

Stats may not mean everything, however, they are the numbers and factual information that goes a long way to showing why Chelsea splashed out on him.<\/p>\n

Kepa has been enjoying life at Stamford Bridge and has made some fine saves already. Granted, he has not been tested much, but when he has, he has produced.<\/p>\n

Kepa Was Not the Only Option<\/h2>\n

The Blues are thought to have looked around in the summer for a new number one. It became evident that Courtois wanted to leave.<\/p>\n

The likes of Alisson, Jan Oblak, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Kasper Schmeichel and Jordan Pickford were all linked at points in the summer.<\/p>\n

Kepa was not. His transfer appeared to have come out of the blue.<\/p>\n

The names that had previously been mentioned were unlikely to leave their clubs (with Alisson expected to head to Liverpool<\/a>). However, with Chelsea\u2019s spending power, anything could have been possible for the Blues.<\/p>\n

The west London outfit then approached Bilbao for a name that was not on anyone\u2019s radar and it appears that supposed gamble has paid off.<\/p>\n

Kepa: The Future Looks Bright<\/h2>\n

Chelsea are yet to taste defeat under Maurizio Sarri and Kepa has played some role in that.<\/p>\n

Football is a team game, however, a goalkeeper is an individual position and one the young man could look to make his own for a number of years to come.<\/p>\n

Should he become a star for the Blues, which he should, then that \u00a372m transfer fee will look to become a bargain in the near future.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a>