Kepa Arrizabalaga made his way to Chelsea from Athletic Club in a stellar €80m move in the summer of 2018, making him the most expensive transfer in the club's history by then and the most expensive goalkeeper of all time in the Premier League.
However, it's safe to say that things haven't turned out as expected at Stamford Bridge. The Spanish goalkeeper has struggled to adjust to life in the English top-flight and failed to deliver the security the Blues were looking for between the sticks.
Therefore, he was quickly replaced by veteran goalie Willy Caballero. Shortly after that, Chelsea made clear they were looking for another man for the job when Edouard Mendy arrived in 2020. Now, Kepa is reportedly looking for a way out as he is clearly not having any chances with the Senegalese star ahead of him.
Chelsea reportedly approve Kepa loan move to Serie A club
Even though he came to the rescue to lift Chelsea to the UEFA Super Cup triumph at the beginning of the season, Kepa has barely put on the gloves this term as he made just one Premier League appearance and started on two English League Cup affairs.
That's why, according to As, Chelsea understand Kepa's desire to leave and will let him join Lazio when the January transfer window opens. The former Athletic Club goalkeeper would move to the Serie A side on loan, but the Spanish outlet claims there's a couple of things that the Italians would need to take care of first.
One aspect that Lazio need to resolve is Kepa's salary, given that his reported €7m-a-year salary would be unaffordable for them. Besides, they would also have to get rid of one goalkeeper, as they currently have Pepe Reina and Thomas Strakosha.
Kepa has ties with Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri, who has had Kepa when he was at the helm of Chelsea in the 2018-2019 season. The move would benefit all parties involved, yet it remains to be seen whether Lazio can get the deal done.
