Transfer News: Lazio dream of signing Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as Maurizio Sarri eyes reunion
According to Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness (h/t football.london), Lazio manager, Maurizio Sarri, is keen to reunite with Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga.
A move in January could be possible but Chelsea would apparently have to pay around half of Kepa’s wages. The report adds that Kepa is a ‘dream’ signing for the Serie A outfit and that Igli Tare, Lazio’s director of football, is also a fan of the Spaniard.
The former Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper has largely failed to live up to expectations during his time at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard finally made the call to sign Edouard Mendy last summer to replace Kepa as Chelsea’s number 1.
With the Frenchman in goal, Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League under Thomas Tuchel and it is quite obvious that the ex-Stade Rennais man is still the club’s number one choice between the post.
Kepa to Lazio?
Sarri has experience of working with Kepa before during the duo’s time at Chelsea- a period which included a famous altercation between the two when Kepa refused to come off in the 2019 Carabao Cup final against Sarri’s wishes.
While paying almost half of his wages would be a problematic situation for some, it would still be better than paying the entirety of it and keeping him as a benchwarmer.
The Chelsea stopper ears around £150,000-a-week at Chelsea. Currently, the club has Marcus Bettinelli to take over as the backup goalkeeper.
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He may divide opinions within the fanbase, but Kepa is certainly not a bad No. 2 to have at the club. It remains to be seen if the club agrees to let him leave mid-season even if his role is that of a second-string player.