Kepa Arrizabalaga has asked to leave Arsenal after just one year at the North London club following his £5 million move from Chelsea.
The Gunners signed the goalkeeper less than 12 months ago, but after rarely featuring for Arsenal, he is open to leaving.
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The Spaniard made just 12 appearances for Arsenal last season, with just one of those matches being in the Premier League.
Arrizabalaga now appears keen to go in search of a new challenge and has made that clear to the North London club.
Kepa Arrizabalaga asks to leave Arsenal
Kepa Arrizabalaga has handed in a transfer request at Arsenal to go in search of regular football, according to TEAMTalk.
The 31-year-old has not had the easiest time at the Emirates Stadium, especially after his appearance in the Carabao Cup final.
Kepa dropped two howlers against Manchester City, and his performance was one of the biggest talking points from the final.
The former Chelsea player did not seem to have the trust of his manager to feature in many matches, with David Raya firmly cemented as number one.
Juventus and Napoli are two of the clubs leading the race to sign the goalkeeper from Arsenal, and a move away now seems to be very likely.
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The Gunners have now drawn up a list of replacements for the goalkeeper, who can act as the new deputy to Raya.
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has emerged as an option, with the Frenchman available on a free transfer.
Yann Sommer and Matthew Ryan are also on the list of players that the North London club are also considering.
Mikel Arteta could be gutted to lose Kepa Arrizabalaga from the dressing room
In terms of Kepa the player, he of course won’t be a big miss, but Kepa as the person, that could prove to be a big blow for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has previously highlighted how well the Spaniard works in training and the attitude he has shown around the Sobha Reality Centre.
Losing players from a squad which has just won the Premier League title is far from ideal, and as a second-choice keeper, Kepa seemed to be great.
Speaking after the League Cup final back in March, Arteta said: “I would do it again because he deserves to play this game.
“He has been phenomenal for us. Errors are part of football, and anyone can make them.”
It’s clear that whilst he was not the best goalkeeper, he was still very well liked at the Emirates, and his presence will be a big loss for the squad.
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