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Kepa Arrizabalaga's Poor Form Blamed On Split With Girlfriend

Kepa Arrizabalaga's Poor Form Blamed On Split With Girlfriend

The Chelsea goalkeeper was dropped for Willy Caballero for Saturday's draw with Leicester City and he's been linked with a move.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Kepa Arrizabalaga poor form for Chelsea could be down to splitting up with his long term girlfriend, according to reports in Spain.

The world's most expensive goalkeeper isn't having a good season and there are reports that manager Frank Lampard wants to sell the Spaniard, potentially replacing him with Nick Pope.

Against Leicester City at the weekend the former Athletic Bilbao keeper was dropped for Willy Caballero because of his poor form and the drop off is being linked to his personal life.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo say that a 'recent' split from girlfriend Andrea Perez. is affecting him with a source telling the outlet, "He's suffering quite badly. His partner went with him to London when he left his former club Athletic Bilbao and had been his rock until the relation ended.

"His parents, who still live in the Basque town of Ondarroa, try to spend time with him but emotionally he's pretty low at the moment."

The paper also says that the players relationship with Lampard isn't very good and that the goalkeeper wasn't pleased with the boss' decision to sell David Luiz last summer.

Before dropping the number one Lampard had said, "Kepa is honest and knows that he has made mistakes that have cost us goals, he knows that he has to improve," but the former Derby County manager obviously decided he needed to make a change for Leicester.

The move didn't necessarily work with Caballero at partial fault for the Foxes second goal. The former Manchester City boss rushed off his line to try and get to a cross but failed to be the Leicester player to the ball.

Eventually the ball made its way across the box to Ben Chilwell who had a virtually half empty net to score into as Caballero scrambled back into position.

Lampard and Caballero at full time. Image: PA Images
Lampard and Caballero at full time. Image: PA Images

Despite only moving to the Premier League in 2018 it's not the first time Kepa's future at Stamford Bridge has been questioned, though he reportedly still has the backing of the board.

The 25-year-old was seen to ignore then manager Maurizio Sarri in last season's Carabao Cup final with the Italian wanting to substitute the keeper before penalties but the Spain international refused to come off.

Will Kepa still be Chelsea number one next season?

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Topics: Frank Lampard, Willy Caballero, Football News, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Kepa, Leicester City, Chelsea, Premier League, Spain