In August, Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper, suffered an ACL injury that may keep him sidelined for the entire 2023–24 season. Consequently, the club made a significant move to acquire the services of Kepa Arrizabalaga to fill this crucial position.
The 28-year-old Courtois replacement may be a loanee from Stamford Bridge, but he is in no hurry whatsoever to return to England. He’s enjoying his time in Madrid and hopes to keep it that way, even beyond his loan contract.
Kepa Arrizabalaga criticizes Chelsea’s project
Kepa Arrizabalaga, the 28-year-old Spanish goalkeeper, is on a season-long loan that will see him remain at Los Blancos until the summer of 2024, and he’s hopeful that his performances will be impactful enough to keep him at the club even after Courtois returns.
Real Madrid currently has a good number of unfit first-team players. Thibaut Courtois is not the only first-team player who will be out for months. Eder Militao will also be out for months after suffering a Cruciate Ligament Rupture.
Dani Ceballos and Vinicius Jr. are other first-team injuries Madrid has on their hands. However, Vinicius and Ceballos are set to be back in training this September after suffering hamstring and muscle injuries, respectively.
At his Real Madrid unveiling, Kepa Arrizabalaga expressed that he made the right choice to join Real Madrid and stated emphatically that the Chelsea project was not right for him.
“I felt it was time for a change of scenery. I wanted to stay, but I felt that the project was not the right one… When Madrid calls you, everything changes. My signing was closed in a few hours and a few calls.”
🚨🗣 Kepa Arrizabalaga:
— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) September 6, 2023
I felt the (Chelsea) project was not the right one.#CFC
(@TeleFootball) pic.twitter.com/bcJi5H0l1I
The 28-year-old goalkeeper may be at Real Madrid as a loanee and a temporary replacement for Courtois, but he certainly is in no hurry to return to Stamford Bridge. He said, “I really hope Real Madrid will keep me at the end of the season.”
Kepa Arrizabalaga’s performances for Real Madrid
Kepa’s arrival at Real Madrid was a dream come true for him. He was excited to be part of the Madrid project and said, “The decision has been straightforward. I had other important offers, but Real Madrid is Real Madrid. When Real Madrid wanted me, everything was clear. Spanish players always talk about Real Madrid during the international break. Everything about this club is spectacular.”
The Chelsea loanee has been up and doing since joining Real Madrid; he already made it clear that he would give everything for the club: “I’m very proud to be at Real Madrid. I’ll never be short of hard work, commitment, and effort with this jersey, both in training and in matches.” And his recent performances reveal exactly that
Kepa Arrizabalaga, the new Los Blancos goalkeeper, has played two matches in the La Liga 2023–2024 season. During this time, he conceded only 1 goal against Getafe and managed to keep a clean sheet in the other match against Celta Vigo.
This translates to his team conceding a goal approximately every 180 minutes when Kepa Arrizabalaga is guarding the goalposts. On average, Kepa has conceded only 0.5 goals per 90 minutes of play.
In terms of his shot-stopping abilities, he has successfully saved 5 out of the six shots directed at him, resulting in an impressive save percentage of 83.33%.
Do you think Kepa will bounce back from his horrible days at Chelsea and be a key part of the Real Madrid squad? Make sure to let us know what you think in the comments.
