Chelsea player confirms he wants Real Madrid future

Real Madrid’s summer plans surely changed to a certain degree due to injuries. It is hard to imagine that they would have tried to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga if not for the torn ACL that Thibaut Courtois suffered before the start of the campaign. The Belgian might not even return to action this season.

Real Madrid moved swiftly to sign Kepa on a season-long loan from Chelsea. The Spaniard has been with the Blues since 2018 but never quite reached the potential that he had shown early on in his career at Athletic Bilbao.

Kepa has come in and immediately been placed as the starter for Real Madrid. Andriy Lunin remains a cover option for the time being.

It looks like Kepa is hoping that he stays at Real Madrid beyond his one-year loan spell and does not seem to be a big believer in the Chelsea project. As reported by Tribuna, he told COPE:

"“My intention is to stay for more than a year.“I felt it was time for a change of scenery. I wanted to stay. But it only took a couple of calls because when Real Madrid call, it is different. I felt the Chelsea project was not the right one.”"

Chelsea player confirms he wants Real Madrid future

It remains to be seen how Kepa does at Real Madrid this season. He was never anything special during his time at Chelsea.

He does have good reactions, is good at saving penalties and is decent with the ball at his feet as well. But on the other hand, he is not a commanding presence in the box. The Spaniard seems to struggle to get to crosses and against shots from distance, a weakness that opposition teams took advantage of time and again in the Premier League.

La Liga might be better suited to Kepa’s strengths and he might surprise a few people with his performances, once he settles in at Real Madrid. At the same time, it is hard to imagine that the club would sign him on a permanent basis once Courtois is back to full fitness come next season.