According to a recent report by the Daily Express, Premier League giants Chelsea are said to be looking to offload the services of their record-signing Spanish shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer. Frank Lampard is reportedly unhappy with the poor level of consistency that the former Athletic Bilbao man has displayed, and this is what has forced him into dropping the Spaniard over various periods during last season. The keeper had a tough first season at Stamford Bridge as well, falling out with Maurizio Sarri in the middle of their EFL Cup final penalty shootout against Manchester City.
Although the report claims that Lampard is considering three alternatives to Kepa Arrizabalaga, the shot-stopper’s former coach Imanol Etxeberria believes that he just needs to be trusted and given tune in the first-team to perform. Speaking on the matter to Mundo Deportivo, the former Bilbao goalkeeper said, “It usually happens, these things with star signings… Many times, they depend on the results of the team and not the personal side.”
“It’s a bit of the team’s inertia, if you get good results, everything goes more unnoticed. And, if it is the other way around, they start looking at you with a magnifying glass, they question everything, the weird questions start. Kepa has amply demonstrated at Athletic, in the Spanish team and in his first year at Chelsea that he is a guaranteed goalkeeper, of a high level. From what I know Kepa, he is a very high-level goalkeeper. Whoever plays ahead of Kepa has to be doing very, very, very well.”
What Is Kepa’s Current Situation At Stamford Bridge?
The Spanish international started the season as the first-choice name at Stamford Bridge, albeit owing to the lack of a proper second choice. The alternate option that was presented to Lampard was former Manchester City man Willy Caballero, whose career as a professional footballer is undoubtedly on it’s last legs. Despite this though, Lampard cut the Spaniard’s term in the team short around the midway point of the season. Although he brought him back in just a couple of fixtures prior to lockdown, it didn’t take long for the gaffer to realise once again that depending on the former Bilbao man was like asking for trouble.
Lampard Is Considering 3 Alternatives To Kepa Arrizabalaga: Who Are They?
Andre Onana
The Cameroonian international stopper’s name has been a part of the Chelsea equation for a while now, and it’s not at all surprising considering that the Blues have recently acquired the services of Moroccan ace Hakim Ziyech from the Dutch club. The Ajax man will reportedly be available for purchase for as low as £35m, which would make him one of the most feasible options for Lampard. The 24-year-old has been a regular in the Amsterdam club’s first-team for a while now, and this is highlighted in his tally of 21 goals conceded and eight clean-sheets kept from a total of 24 appearances.
Jan Oblak
The Atletico Madrid shot-stopper is regarded to be among the best in the world at what he does and hence will not come cheap to Chelsea by any stretch of the imagination. The Slovenian international has been the first-choice at Diego Simeone’s side for more than five years now and has earned quite the reputation during that time. Renowned for his rapid reactions and unbelievably quick reflexes, the 27-year-old, if they’re able to acquire him, would immediately carry this Chelsea defence-line to the next level. Oblak kept 17 clean-sheets from his 38 La Liga outings last season, a period during which he conceded just 27 times.
Nick Pope
The third option that Frank Lampard can consider in between the sticks this summer actually plies his trade in the Premier League, and that is Burnley number one Nick Pope. The Englishman has earned massive plaudits for his exploits in the top-flight this season, and bringing him in would perhaps be the least risky move for Chelsea, especially because of his prior experience in this division. Standing at 1.98m tall, Pope is the biggest option for Chelsea in terms of physicality, and this is backed up by his stellar return of 15 clean-sheets from 38 Premier League outings last term as well.
