The loan signing of Chelsea custodian Kepa Arrizabalaga by Bournemouth has been made official.

In 2018, the club paid a world record £71 million for the Spaniard, but he hasn’t been liked by the Blues fans in recent years.

Real Madrid took him on loan for last season which helped them win both La Liga and the Champions League. 

As agreed, he will spend the 2024–25 season at the Vitality Stadium with Bournemouth on loan for the whole season.

The 29-year-old player also signed a new one-year deal with Chelsea that will keep him there until the end of the 2025–26 season. 

His old contract was set to end at the end of this season. With his new one, the Blues won’t be able to lose him for free. 

He was in boss Enzo Maresca’s “bomb squad” this summer with Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, and 12 other players who aren’t thought to have a future at Swansea City. 

Neill Blake, the CEO of AFC Bournemouth, said, “We are thrilled to bring a player of Kepa’s caliber to AFC Bournemouth.”

“We knew he was free and were eager to move forward with the plan to loan him to the club.”  

We think he will be a great addition to our team of skilled goalkeepers.

Last season, Kepa played 20 times for Real Madrid in all categories. 

The custodian has played 163 times for Chelsea since moving there from his old team, Athletic Bilbao.  

Arrizabalaga will compete with Neto, who is the club captain and present number one for Andoni Iraola’s team at Bournemouth. 

They have drawn their first two games of the season, against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.