Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has completed his season-long loan move to Real Madrid.
Los Blancos made a quickfire move for the Spaniard after custodian Thibaut Courtois was ruled out long-term with a serious knee injury.
The deal is not thought to include the option for Kepa to sign permanently at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Madrid will officially unveil their new signing to the media on Tuesday afternoon.
🧤 #WelcomeKepa 🧤 pic.twitter.com/HeiYT6CXpg
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 14, 2023
A Chelsea statement added: “The club wish him well for the season ahead in Madrid, where he will work with former Chelsea head coach Carlo Ancelotti.”
Kepa, 28, is officially the Blues’ longest-serving player and had been set to be Mauricio Pochettino’s first-choice goalkeeper.
The Chelsea boss said ahead of the Liverpool game that new signing Robert Sanchez was a “few weeks” behind Kepa in terms of readiness to play, meaning the former Athletic Club shot-stopper was due to play.
However, Sanchez started the game as talks with Real advanced.
Chelsea are considering moves for Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili and Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel in their hunt for a new keeper.
