Napoli Interested In Signing Chelsea Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga

Napoli are showing transfer interest in Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer, according to reports.

The Blues signed the Spanish international in 2018 from Athletic Bilbao in order to replace Thibaut Courtois, who made the move to Real Madrid.

His first season at the club was impressive as he kept 23 clean sheets in all competitions, and he finished the campaign with a Europa League winners’ medal.

However, he soon appeared to struggle in between the sticks for Chelsea, with the 27-year-old making a series of errors in the following campaign.

They soon signed Edouard Mendy in the summer of 2020, and Kepa has been the second choice option at the club behind the Senegal international ever since.

As a result question marks have appeared over his future at the club, and the next stage of his career could be decided this summer.

Kepa was the hero in the Super Cup final penalty shootout against Villarreal. (Alamy)

According to Nick Purewal, Napoli are believed to be showing an interest in a potential move for the goalkeeper.

The Serie A side are exploring the possibilities of either a loan deal or a permanent transfer, although the player’s wages and potential transfer fee could potentially be an issue.

It is also thought that Chelsea hold him in ‘high regard’, but are aware of Kepa’s ambitions to be a consistent starter, a role that he is currently not playing at the club.

Although the Spaniard has made mistakes in goal for the Blues in recent seasons, he has also made key contributions to some of the club’s successes.

His heroics in the Europa League semi-final shootout against Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019 saw Chelsea progress to the final, where they went on to beat London rivals Arsenal 4-1 in Baku.

He also saved two spot-kicks in the Super Cup final against Villarreal at the beginning of the previous campaign, ensuring the club lifted the trophy for the second time in their history.

While the club may now start to work on their departures, they have already commenced their business on arrivals in preparation for another busy campaign.

Raheem Sterling has been revealed as their first signing of the summer after making the £47.5 million move from Manchester City, leaving the Premier League Champions after seven seasons.

When he arrived, the 27-year-old said: "First and foremost, it’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve and I’m really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt, under Thomas’s management.

"London is my home and where it all started for me, and it’s amazing I now have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family week in, week out at Stamford Bridge. I’m really looking forward to meeting the fans there soon.

"I do want to take the opportunity to thank Todd, Behdad, the ownership group, Thomas, and all involved in the process of getting me here. I can’t wait to get going now and continue to do my talking on the pitch."