Search icon

Football

07th Aug 2018

Chelsea agree world record fee to sign new goalkeeper

Wil Jones

Chelsea have agreed a fee for Athletic Bilbao keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga

The West London club will break the world record transfer for a goalkeeper, paying an extraordinary £71 million.

Chelsea’s current first choice goalie Thibaut Courtois is currently trying to force a move to Real Madrid, having been failing to show up for training, and eventually being spotted in a Spanish supermarket.

That means the race is on for them to find a replacement before the transfer window shuts on Thursday, and they appear to have met Kepa’s buyout clause.

Spanish sources say the 23-year-old is due to arrive in London on Wednesday morning.

If Courtois does go to Real, the deal could be somewhat sweetened by Mateo Kovačić heading the other way on loan.

Of course, the current most expensive transfer fee for a gaolkeeper is the €75m (£66.8m) that Liverpool paid Roma for Alisson earlier this summer.