Kepa could be offered escape from Chelsea misery with Sevilla lining up loan transfer – but £150k-a-week wages an issue
KEPA ARRIZABALAGA could be offered a get-out from his Chelsea misery with a loan move to Sevilla.
Chelsea’s keeper is again under pressure after letting in four goals at West Ham on Wednesday night.
One was disallowed via a controversial VAR decision but the world’s most expensive goalkeeper is once more facing an uncertain future under boss Frank Lampard.
The £71.6million Spaniard may even be willing to accept a loan move to regain confidence or ultimately help seek a permanent transfer away from Stamford Bridge.
Kepa wants a top European club but is unlikely to interest Spanish big guns Real Madrid and Barcelona at present.
Sevilla are fourth in LaLiga and pushing for a Champions League place next season.
But Kepa’s £150,000-a-week wages would be an issue as would the fee for a permanent deal because he is just two years into a mammoth six year contract.
Rivals Valencia would be another alternative but again the finance will be a problem.
Chelsea may have to adapt their normal loan policy in order to resolve the stand-off.
The Blues normally ask loaning clubs to pay their players’ wages in full.
But there are ways around it and one is for Chelsea to subsidise the salary but charge a loan fee to Seville instead.
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Kepa is fully aware that he has become the victim of the mega-deal which took him to Stamford Bridge in 2018.
And with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all content with established keepers, Kepa is boxed in.
Lampard dropped Kepa for five games earlier in the season and replaced him with understudy Willy Caballero.
He is back in the first team again but is still considered a weak link in the defence.
Chelsea have conceded 44 Premier League goals following Wednesday’s 3-2 loss at West Ham – more than any team in the top eight.
Kepa loves life in London but is struggling to convince his bosses at Chelsea that he can cut it as their long term No1.
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The club have been regularly linked with moves to find replacements for the keeper, who came in at last-minute notice on a huge deal to replace Thibaut Courtois when the Belgian demanded a move to Real Madrid.
SunSport exclusively revealed how Chelsea were plotting a cheeky £15m move for Borussia Dortmund keeper Roman Burki, who later signed a new contract with the Germans.
Burki said: “I heard about this offer but at the end Dortmund convinced me to stay.”