Chelsea Send Kepa On Loan To Bournemouth For Rest Of Season

Kepa, whose contract with the Blues was set to expire next summer, signed a new deal until the summer of 2026 before embarking on his latest temporary stint away from Stamford Bridge.

The 29-year-old spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, where he made 20 appearances and won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

Kepa remains football's most expensive goalkeeper ever, having joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for £71m in the summer of 2018.

The move to Bournemouth sees Arrizabalaga reunite with his former Athletic Bilbao teammate Andoni Iraola, who is now manager at the Vitality Stadium.

"I know Andoni Iraola well, so of course that was a big reason for coming here, he spoke very well about everything here," Kepa, who played with Bournemouth boss Iraola at Bilbao, told the club's Youtube channel, external.

"I am so ready to be here and play in front of our fans.

"Hopefully we can win something and it could be a great year."

Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake added: "We are delighted to bring a player of Kepa's calibre to 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."