Bournemouth are looking into turning Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan into a permanent deal from Chelsea as they assess their No 1 options in a hectic summer of goalkeeper activity in the transfer market.
With Chelsea shaping their squad for the future, agreeing a £62.3 million deal with Sporting Lisbon for youngsters Geovany Quenda and Dário Essugo, and is expected to see players such as Kepa allowed to leave for the right deal.
Arrizabalaga has been on a season-long loan at the Vitality Stadium and has played in all but three of the Premier League games he has been eligible for, playing a key role in Andoni Iraola’s team competing for Champions League qualification.
With their No 1 set to head back to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, Bournemouth have been assessing their options for next season and are understood to be open to Kepa staying on the south-coast.
Kepa has one full season left on his deal at Chelsea, with a deal to leave likely to involve some of his wages being covered for the final year of his contract. His form may attract interest from other clubs as goalkeeper movement in the Premier League is expected when the window opens.
Who is certain to move?
There is one certain goalkeeper arrival in the summer as Liverpool have already agreed a deal to sign Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia. The package worth £29m was finalised last summer and Mamardashvili has spent the season in Spain ahead of the move.
With Alisson Becker established as Liverpool’s No 1 for the last seven years, Arne Slot will have a decision to make on the set-up of his pool of goalkeepers.
Liverpool No 2 Caoimhin Kelleher has previously been subject to bids - Nottingham Forest tried to sign him last season - and is likely to generate interest from clubs looking to offer him a regular place. Bournemouth have been linked with him, although Kepa is firmly in their sights if a deal can be agreed.
Who else is on the market?
Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has been breaking records in the Championship and Newcastle remain interested in landing him. They looked at a deal last summer but profit-and-sustainability rules meant they had to thrash out a deal for Elliot Anderson with Forest and it meant Greece goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos moving in the opposite direction.
“It was a possibility that I could have gone to Newcastle but I didn’t,” said Trafford.
Manchester United have been assessing their long-term options under Ruben Amorim, with Andre Onana signed under previous manager Erik ten Hag. Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was in the frame for a place in England’s squad for the European Championship a year ago before injury struck. He could be available after only playing FA Cup matches since the turn of the year.
One wildcard on the market is Leicester’s Mads Hermansen, who has been quietly impressive despite his club struggling this season and looking almost certain to be relegated to the Championship. At 24, he is a good age for a team to invest in the goalkeeper.
Arsenal are another club who could be in the market for a goalkeeper as they continue to search for a permanent backup to David Raya, with Neto’s loan from Bournemouth ending this summer.
Who are Chelsea signing?
Sporting have confirmed they have agreed deals with Chelsea for Quenda and Essugo. Quenda will stay with the Portuguese giants next season, while Essugo will arrive at Stamford Bridge in the summer after completing his loan at Las Palmas in Spain.
Essugo, 20, is a highly rated young defensive-midfielder who will cost Chelsea £18.65m, while Quenda has been scouted by Europe’s top teams and will move in a deal starting at £42.7m, with add-ons making up the rest of the fee.
Brazilian Estevao Willian and Ecuadorian Kendry Paez will also move to Chelsea in the summer.
