Bournemouth sign Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea

AFC Bournemouth have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on a season-long loan from Chelsea. The 29-year-old Spanish international joins the Cherries following a successful loan spell at Real Madrid last season.

Kepa, who has been with Chelsea since 2018, played 20 matches for Real Madrid in the previous campaign, contributing to the team's triumphs in La Liga, the Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup.

At Chelsea, Kepa has been involved in several trophy-winning campaigns, including the 2021 Champions League, the 2019 Europa League, and the 2022 Club World Cup. He also made a significant impact in the UEFA Super Cup victory over Villarreal in 2021, coming off the bench to save two penalties in a dramatic shootout.

"We are delighted to bring a player of Kepa’s calibre to AFC Bournemouth," said Neill Blake, chief executive of AFC Bournemouth.

"We were aware of his availability and were keen to take the opportunity to bring him to the club on loan. We believe he will be an exciting addition to our talented goalkeeping department."

Kepa's football journey began in his hometown of Ondarroa, where he developed through the youth ranks at Athletic Bilbao.

He made his senior debut at Basconia and later returned to Bilbao, playing for their B team while current Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola was part of the first team.

His career then took him on loan to Ponferradina and Valladolid before making a high-profile move to Chelsea in August 2018.

Since then, Kepa has accumulated 163 appearances for the Blues and has also earned 13 caps for Spain, recently being part of the squad that won the UEFA Nations League in June 2023.

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