Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared an important update on the future of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga amid his current loan spell at Real Madrid.
Who has left Chelsea?
Mauricio Pochettino perhaps oversaw one of the biggest transfer overhauls in the Premier League this summer, with a plethora of players both arriving and departing Stamford Bridge.
Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer all put pen to paper on moves to west London before September 1.
Meanwhile, Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Arrizabalaga, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi all sealed moves the other way.
Chelsea are taking a bit of time to get going under Pochettino, though; winning just one top flight match and drawing another whilst suffering defeats at the hands of West Ham and Nottingham Forest.
Defender Ben Chilwell, speaking after his side's latest 1-0 defeat to Forest, said Chelsea have much to improve upon ahead of a long season.
"Very frustrating result and everyone is very disappointed in the changing room right now," explained Chilwell post-match.
"If you look at the stats we dominated the game, had the possession, but the most important stat is the goals. We lost in that department and lost the game, that is the black and white of it and we need to improve."
There is still work to be done to Bridge, but one player who won't be a part of the project is Arrizabalaga.
The Spaniard, currently on a temporary stint at La Liga giants Real Madrid, is apparently eyeing up a permanent move away from Chelsea next year.
Arrizabalaga has seemingly been replaced by summer signing Sanchez from Brighton, with renowned transfer source Romano sharing a fresh update latest on the former's future.
“Kepa mentioned that his dream is to continue at Real Madrid, and this is the reality," said Romano on his YouTube channel.
“From what I am told, Kepa’s priority is to find another opportunity in 2024. Real Madrid, or another club. He feels that, with Chelsea, something is now broken. This is why the expectation between Chelsea and Kepa is to part ways.”
What happened to Kepa Arrizabalaga?
The 28-year-old signed for Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in 2018, a transfer which broke the world record for most money spent on a goalkeeper.
Arrizabalaga arrived for £71.6 million, but fast-forward half a decade later, supporters will be looking back on his Chelsea career as a real mixed bag.
The shot-stopper has performed well in parts, though; even earning praise from Blues legend Petr Cech.
“I must touch on Kepa, too," wrote Cech in a column for Chelsea's official website last term (via The Standard).
"He had to fill those big boots while Edou has been away, and he has been brilliant in all those games under even more scrutiny than usual.
“You need a strong team and every person ready to help. The goalkeeping group work so hard together to make sure they are all ready for when the moment comes, so Kepa deserves credit too.”