Napoli and Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of reaching an agreement for Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan move to Serie A. According to Calciomercato, Luciano Spalletti has identified the Spanish goalkeeper as a perfect long-term replacement for David Ospina.
Ospina was a permanent first-team fixture at Napoli for years. Yet, he decided to call time on his career at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to link up with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr this summer. The Colombian’s departure left Alex Meret as the only dependable option between the sticks. So the Partenopei are in the market for a new shot-stopper.
Hellbent on reinforcing his squad down the final stretch of the summer transfer window, Aurelio De Laurentiis has stepped up talks for Arrizabalaga. The Spaniard has experienced an epic downfall since swapping Athletic Bilbao for Chelsea in 2018.
Though the Blues made him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper ever, Arrizabalga has never repaid the club’s trust. He has been forced to play understudy to Edouard Mendy over the past two years and is ready to move on to new pastures in the summer.
Yet, Arrizabalga earns a whopping £150,000 per week, with Chelsea insisting Napoli to pay 75% of his salary. That has been the main sticking point so far, although both clubs look confident about getting the deal over the line.
Unlike Inter and Milan, Napoli are not strapped for cash and have plenty of room in their wage bill in the wake of the departures of Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne. But the question remains – does De Laurentiis want to sacrifice so much money on a keeper that has been on the fringes for a couple of years?