Arsenal to complete Kepa Arrizabalaga transfer from Chelsea after triggering £5m release clause

Arsenal have triggered the £5m release clause in Kepa's contract with Chelsea, according to Fabrizio Romano, and will soon welcome the Spanish goalkeeper to the Emirates Stadium, where he will serve as an understudy to compatriot David Raya.

The Gunners have been on the lookout for a new back-up shot-stopper after deciding against turning Neto's loan from Bournemouth into a permanent deal. Kepa himself spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan on the south coast, keeping eight clean sheets in 31 Premier League appearances for Andoni Iraola's side.

Kepa remains the most expensive goalkeeper ever after joining Chelsea from Athletic Club in 2018 for a fee of around £71 million (€83m/$96m). However, he failed to convince during his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge and was relegated to the bench when Edouard Mendy arrived in 2020 before loan spells Real Madrid and Bournemouth.

Kepa will become Arsenal's first official signing of the summer, but manager Mikel Arteta is hopeful of bringing more players through the door. The Gunners have been linked with a new striker, with Viktor Gyokeres thought to be extremely keen to make the move to north London as he tries to facilitate an exit from Sporting CP.