Kepa has finally arrived at Chelsea

Chelsea Football Club announced their delighted on the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao.

Kepa Arrizabalaga Official Unvailed As Chelsea Shot-Stopper

The 23-year-old Spanishl goalkeeper arrives ahead of the new Premier League season after signing a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

Upon completing his move to Chelsea, he said: ‘It’s a very important decision for me, for my career, and also for my personal life.

'So many things attracted me to the club, all the titles the club has won, the other players, the city, the English Premier League. It’s an accumulation of things, and I am very glad Chelsea has decided to trust me and to take me in as well.’

 ‘Kepa is a talent we have admired for a long time and we are extremely excited about his arrival. He has already demonstrated fantastic quality and consistency and will be a big part of any success Chelsea has in the coming years. His long-term contract reflects the belief we have in him and we look ahead to the coming seasons with an enormous sense of optimism.’ Director Marina Granovskaia added.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Quick and agile, Kepa possesses fantastic reflexes and has developed his all-round game since establishing himself as Athletic Bilbao’s first-choice ‘keeper two years ago. A great shot-stopper, he is confident with the ball at his feet and capable of playing out from the back, even under pressure.

Kepa joined the Athletic academy at the age of nine and went ahead to gaining experience at their fourth-tier feeder club Basconia, he became a regular starter for Bilbao’s B-team which earned him international recognition at youth level due to the quality of his displays.

Although not initially viewed as number one, he made his first appearance in an away game at Deportivo La Coruna, keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win. He went on to make over 20 appearances throughout a season which ended with him representing Spain at the European Under-21 Championship.

Kepa...

Last season, Kepa’s consistently impressive displays earned him regular plaudits inside and outside the club. He saved two of the three penalties he faced, as well as making the third-highest number of saves in the Spanish top flight and successfully executing more long-range passes – 368 – than any other goalkeeper in La Liga.

His impressive form at club level led to a debut for the senior Spain side, which came in a 5-0 win over Costa Rica last November. He was duly named in the 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia this summer.

He is now the sixth Spaniard in the Blues squad, joining Cesar Azpilicueta, Marcos Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Alvaro Morata.

Kepa, who is eligible to play in Saturday’s Premier League opener against Huddersfield, will train with his new team-mates for the first time tomorrow.