Kepa Arrizabalaga 'wants to leave Chelsea this summer'

The Blues broke the world-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper when they signed the Spain international from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6m in the summer of 2018.

Kepa has made 124 appearances for the capital giants since his arrival but has largely struggled to show his best form and dropped to number two at the club when Edouard Mendy made the move from Rennes in 2020.

This season, the 27-year-old has been restricted to just four Premier League appearances, although he has featured on 15 occasions in all competitions, with the bulk of his outings (six) coming in the EFL Cup.

Kepa still has more than three years left to run on his lucrative contract at Stamford Bridge, but there has been a host of speculation surrounding his future ahead of the summer market.

Juventus have been heavily linked with the Spaniard, and a recent report claimed that the Old Lady were keen to explore the possibility of taking him on loan for the 2022-23 campaign.

Newcastle United and Lazio have also been credited with an interest in the former Athletic youngster, with the former thought to be prepared to take on his large salary due to their new wealth.

According to journalist Ekrem Konur, Kepa is planning to leave Chelsea during this summer's transfer window in search of regular action, with a spot in the Spain squad for the 2022 World Cup in his mind.

Mendy has made 45 appearances for the Blues this season, including 31 outings in the Premier League, with three of Kepa's four league appearances this term coming while the Senegal international was representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Kepa's last Premier League appearance was against Tottenham Hotspur on January 23, while he has only featured on one occasion in the Champions League this term, turning out against Zenit St Petersburg last December.

The Spaniard played the full 120 minutes of the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal, though, and also featured in all six of his team's EFL Cup matches this term, starting every round before being dropped to the bench for the final, which the Blues lost on penalties to Liverpool.

Chelsea, who still have off-the-field problems entering the final stages of the campaign, will take on Leeds United, Leicester City and Watford in their final three league games of the season.

The capital outfit, who have won just one of their last five league matches during a disappointing run of form, will also take on Liverpool in the FA Cup final on May 14.

Kepa started against Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town in the fourth and fifth round of this season's FA Cup but did not feature in the quarter-final win over Middlesbrough or semi-final success over Crystal Palace.