Chelsea have reportedly rejected a bid from Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad for their goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Reputed journalist David Ornstein claimed that the Blues are still negotiating with Al Ittihad and other interested clubs.
The Spain international will likely be on his way out of Stamford Bridge this summer,
with only a year left on his current contract.
Chelsea will not want him to wait for his deal to expire and walk away for free in the summer of 2025.
Kepa is out of favor at Chelsea and spent the entirety of the 2023-24 season on loan at Real Madrid.
However, it wasn’t a fruitful spell for the shot-stopper, who made just five appearances across competitions for Los Blancos in 2024.
Moreover, Chelsea already has two goalkeepers – Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic –
fighting for minutes. Both also have long-term deals in place with the Blues.
So it would serve Kepa well to look for opportunities elsewhere.
He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2018 for a reported fee of €80 million from Athletic Bilbao.
The keeper has made 163 appearances across competitions for the English giants, keeping 59 clean sheets.