Chelsea have a brand new goalkeeper in Kepa Arrizabalaga.



Rumours had been circulating for some time that they would lose Thibaut Courtois this summer and the news broke on Wednesday night that he had completed his move to Real Madrid.

The Blues were unwilling to let the Belgian leave Stamford Bridge before they had secured a replacement and had activated Kepa's release clause before any confirmation from Spain.

In the end, it took a world-record fee to secure the Spaniard's arrival with a €80 million price tag eclipsing Alisson Becker's move that had come just weeks before.

The transfer fee aside, though, Kepa looks an impressive replacement for the Blues who are getting a long-term solution between the sticks and a player still boasting experience on the European stage.

Kepa signs for Chelsea

That being said, he'll do well to even be regarded as the Premier League's best Spanish goalkeeper.

That's because - of course - compatriot David de Gea has plied his trade on English shores for seven years now and is widely considered as the best goalkeeper in the world.

Kepa sits behind De Gea in the pecking order with the Spanish team and will look to draw upon the Manchester United man's success, although he'll hope to make a better start.

De Gea's advice to Kepa in 2017

And Chelsea fans will be rather intrigued by De Gea's thoughts on Kepa.



Amid rumours that Kepa would be leaving Athletic Bilbao, De Gea explained in October 2017: "Kepa is still very young. He has a long career ahead of him. But his head is in the right place.

"When you train with him you realise that he has a very high level. He is a great goalkeeper. He needs to continue to compete at this level and grow game after game."

Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is that De Gea felt it necessary to warn Kepa of the perils of leaving La Liga.

"All the players like me that leave Spain, we are not followed as much as those that are playing at home and people forget a little bit about us," he said. "That is why we try to be there and do things to be talked about."

Not only does Kepa risk drifting out of the limelight in Spain, but he's also entering a league with new levels of physicality and a completely different style of football.

Nevertheless, it's clear that De Gea is rather impressed by his fellow Spaniard and will no doubt wish him all the best as he joins him in the Premier League.

It will take something special from the 23-year-old to catch up with Spain's number one, however, and his England switch could see him slip down the pecking order per De Gea's warning.

After all, Chelsea simply can't afford for him to flop.

Do you think Kepa was the right replacement for Courtois? Have your say in the comments section below.

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