Kepa Arrizabalaga Opens Up About His Departure from Chelsea and Critiques Todd Boehly’s ‘Project

Kepa Arrizabalaga recently shed light on his decision to leave Chelsea, expressing his disillusionment with Todd Boehly’s ambitious project and the need for a fresh start. The Spanish goalkeeper joined Real Madrid on loan last month, stepping in to replace Thibaut Courtois after the Belgian sustained an ACL injury.

Speaking with Spanish radio COPE, Kepa didn’t hold back in his criticism of Boehly’s significant spending spree and revealed his certainty about leaving Chelsea. “I felt it was time for a change of scenery,” he remarked. “I wanted to stay, but I felt that the project was not the right one.”

Since Boehly’s takeover of Chelsea, the club has invested over £1 billion in player acquisitions. This summer alone, they splurged £350 million, breaking the British transfer record with the £115 million signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton, just seven months after shattering the previous record with the £107 million purchase of Enzo Fernandez.

The managerial revolving door at Chelsea has been equally brisk, with Mauricio Pochettino becoming the third permanent manager in just six months, following the departures of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. Despite these lavish investments, Chelsea has yet to see significant returns, culminating in their worst-ever Premier League finish last season and a 12th-place position after four matches this season.

Kepa, who was signed by Chelsea for a record-breaking £72 million from Athletic Bilbao in 2018, opted to leave when the club spent £25 million to acquire Robert Sanchez from Brighton this summer. Pochettino expressed a desire for Kepa to stay and play after Edouard Mendy’s departure from Stamford Bridge, but the Spanish goalkeeper believed that a change was necessary.

“Yes, it was very fast,” Kepa stated when discussing his move to Real Madrid. “It’s true that Pochettino wanted me to stay and he told me that I was going to play, that he trusted me, but I thought that a change would be good for me. I wanted a change.” He also mentioned that Thomas Tuchel had contacted him, and there was even consideration of a move to Munich. However, when Real Madrid came calling, Kepa’s decision swiftly changed, with his signing being finalized in just a matter of hours and a few phone calls.