Kepa Arrizabalaga: Chelsea goalkeeper joins Gunners as David Raya back-up in £5m deal

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Evening Standard

·1 luglio 2025

Kepa Arrizabalaga: Chelsea goalkeeper joins Gunners as David Raya back-up in £5m deal

The Spaniard remains the most expensive goalkeeper of all time

Signed, sealed, delivered: Kepa Arrizabalaga moves across London

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Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in a deal worth £5million.

Kepa, 30, signs a three-year contract and will replace Neto as David Raya’s back-up after the Brazilian’s loan spell ended. He will wear the no13 shirt.

The move marks the end of Kepa’s seven-year spell on the books at Chelsea, where he became a Champions League, Europa League, and Club World Cup winner. His 2018 move from Athletic Club to Stamford Bridge, worth £72m, marked him the most expensive goalkeeper of all time.

He fell out of favour in his final years with the Blues, spending loan spells with Real Madrid and Bournemouth. He kept nine clean sheets in 35 appearances for the Cherries last season.

Kepa becomes the first formal Arsenal signing of the summer, though the Gunners are soon expected to confirm the arrivals of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard. Mikel Arteta is also expected to add a striker, with Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres both of interest.

Kepa joins a star-studded cast of players to have made the cross-London move from Chelsea to Arsenal, which includes the likes of Petr Cech, David Luiz, and Jorginho.