Athletic Bilbao have confirmed that a club have triggered the transfer release clause for goalkeeper Kepa with the 23 year old expected to move to Chelsea for a record fee for a goalkeeper.
The transfer window closes in less than 48 hours in England leaving plenty of clubs with some serious transfer business to do, especially as they could still lose players to Europe before the end of the month.
The league's decision to close the transfer window early seems to have affected Chelsea in a big way with Thibaut Courtois desperate to move to Real Madrid and trying to force his move by not turning up for training.
It means the Blues do not have long to try and replace one of the best goalkeepers on the planet, and the man who won the Golden Glove award during the World Cup earlier in the summer.
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Yesterday they were linked with a move for Athletic Bilbao keeper Kepa with the Spaniard expected to only leave if his £71 million release clause was met. In a statement on their website this morning Bilbao confirmed that the clause had indeed been met, saying:
"On Wednesday August 8, 2018, at 12:02 hours, the Professional Football League has certified to our entity that the player Kepa Arrizabalaga has met the requirements for the valid unilateral termination of the work contract that linked him to Athletic Club.
"The aforementioned certification indicates that the player has expressed his desire to terminate and unilaterally resolve the relationship that joined him since the 2004/05 season and that the amount of the compensation established in the contract has been deposited.
"Athletic thanks the player for his contribution during the time he has remained in our Club."
The transfer release clause being met mirrors PSG's move for Neymar last season with clubs in Spain having to include the clause in every players' contract, and they are usually a greater value than the players actual value.
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Chelsea's move for Kepa all but confirms that Courtois, who only has one year left on his contract, will be allowed to leave for Real with the price expected to be at most half of their incoming keeper.
The deal going through would also mean the transfer record for a goalkeeper being broken twice in the window by a Premier League club after Alisson moved to Liverpool from Roma earlier this summer.
Kepa will now head to Stamford Bridge to agree a contract and have his medical and could feature this weekend.
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