Arsenal have completed the signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga after triggering the Spaniard’s £5 million release clause.
Kepa had spent seven years at Stamford Bridge, having arrived from Athletic Club in a deal worth £71.6m ($96.9m), which remains the world-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper. He won four major trophies and featured 163 times for Chelsea.
The 30-year-old has signed a three-year deal at Arsenal.
In a farewell post on Instagram, Arrizabalaga thanked Chelsea and described playing for the club as “an honour and a source of pride”.
The Athletic reported on June 7 that Arsenal were close to finalising a deal to sign the 13-cap Spain international, who had become a top target for the north London club as they looked to recruit an understudy to first-choice David Raya.
At the start of the summer Arsenal also held interest in Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia but the 24-year-old has since joined Barcelona.
Read: Joan Garcia bids farewell to Espanyol ahead of Barcelona move
Arrizabalaga signed a one-year contract extension with Chelsea last summer, tying him to the west London club to June 2026, before joining Bournemouth on loan, where he made 35 appearances.
Arrizabalaga became first-choice goalkeeper at Bournemouth and recorded nine clean sheets in 35 matches playing a crucial role in the club’s ninth-placed finish in the 2024-25 campaign.
Arsenal have long been admirers of Kepa having previously raised his name during recruitment conversations at the club.
Although Arsenal already have an established No 1 in 29-year-old Raya following his strong performance in the 2024/25 season, but Kepa is willing to fight for his place in north London.
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