After a relatively modest transfer window where the club was outspent by the likes of Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea have once again pulled a rabbit out of the hat to announce the £71m transfer of Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga just hours after losing Thibaut Courtois for a measly £35m, albeit with Mateo Kovacic making the temporary switch to West London.
On the face of it, this transfer appears to be nothing short of a calamity. After Real Madrid were able to prise away their first choice from Chelsea at such a cut-price, the Blues had to settle for securing the man previously ear-marked as Real’s backup to Courtois - at a fee more than double the one they received for their goalkeeper.
However, this transfer may not ooze with the same sheer irrationality of many of the Blues’ prior acquisitions. Looking at the transfers as two completely separate components, it can be argued that Chelsea have done a fairly decent job given the tools they have had to work with.
Firstly, looking at the deal struck for Courtois, getting a return of £35m on a player they once signed for just £7m back in 2011. The swap for Mateo Kovacic also means that the Blues add a spark of creativity that remains sorely missing from their midfield, and bring in much-needed depth ahead of a Europa League campaign.
Now on to the second component, the arrival of Arrizabalaga himself. While the £71m transfer fee may appear exorbitant, constituting a record fee for the club and a world record for a goalkeeper, it may not be as astronomical as first meets the eye.
The club has signed Kepa on a seven-year contract, meaning that they are only paying a little over £10m a year for a goalkeeper soon to enter his prime, sorting out the long-term future between the sticks at Stamford Bridge.
While there may have been cheaper options, Chelsea’s commitment to getting their man is a much-needed statement of intent at a time when many feared investment was drying up at the West London club.
Add on to the matter Maurizio Sarri’s tactical need for a goalkeeper with adequate ball-playing ability, it becomes clear as to why the Blues felt the need to splash the cash on the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
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