Nice ‘looking to sign Chelsea outcast Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan’ with Spanish stopper desperate for regular game time to win a World Cup spot after Edouard Mendy replaced him as first choice at Stamford Bridge
- Kepa Arrizabalaga has been lined up for a loan move by French club Nice
- Spanish keeper, 27, fell out of favour at Stamford Bridge after series of errors
- He was replaced by Edouard Mendy and played just 15 matches last season
- Several Spanish and Italian clubs are also interested in taking Kepa on loan
Nice ‘are interested in signing Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan’ after the Spaniard fell out of favour at Stamford Bridge.
Kepa, 27, played just 15 times for the Blues last season having been supplanted by Edouard Mendy as the club’s No 1 between the sticks.
This has had a knock-on effect on his international career with his last Spain appearance coming back in October 2020.
French club Nice are reportedly interested in taking Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan
Kepa makes a save during a penalty shoot-out against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last season – but game time has become scarce at Stamford Bridge for the Spanish keeper
Given Kepa’s ambition to be part of Luis Enrique’s plans for the World Cup in Qatar this winter, he will need to secure more regular game time at the beginning of next season.
According to Foot Mercato in France, ambitious Ligue 1 club Nice have emerged as a possible option with Italian and Spanish clubs also expressing an interest in a player who cost Chelsea £71.6million back in 2018.
Nice finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season, qualifying for the Europa Conference League, and reached the final of the Coupe de France, where they lost 1-0 to Nantes.
Kepa replaced Edouard Mendy in the final minute of extra time in the Carabao Cup final
He failed to save any of Liverpool’s 11 spot-kicks during the marathon shoot-out at Wembley
Kepa then missed his own penalty to hand Liverpool victory, firing high over the crossbar
The Cote d’Azur club have to replace Argentine keeper Walter Benitez, who has signed for PSV Eindhoven. They have already made permanent Marcin Bulka’s loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
Kepa was Chelsea’s first choice for two seasons after joining from Athletic Bilbao but a series of errors and struggles with form led to him being replaced by Mendy in the 2020-21 campaign.
He only made 14 appearances that season and 15 in the campaign just passed.
Despite being brought on for the penalty shoot-out in the Carabao Cup final with Liverpool, Kepa failed to save a single spot-kick then missed himself in an 11-10 defeat.
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