Kepa transfer stance emerges in £72m 'nightmare' for Chelsea and AFC Bournemouth
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Enzo Maresca is already facing a goalkeeping conundrum at Chelsea without news that the £72m signing may return to his squad.
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is not currently interested in making his loan move to AFC Bournemouth permanent come the end of the season, despite enjoying life under Andoni Iraola on the south coast.
The 30-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements by Enzo Maresca this summer with the former Leicester City manager preferring Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen as his two goalkeepers. Picking between those two shot-stoppers is already somewhat of a headache for the Blues boss and news that Kepa intends on returning to Chelsea could be seen as somewhat of a nightmare situation for Maresca.
Sanchez remains first choice but has come under fire this season for some of his performances. When Jorgensen has been handed his chances in cup tournaments and against Southampton, he has stepped up with many calling for the former Villarreal man to start between the sticks in the Premier League.
Kepa is on a season-long loan at AFC Bournemouth with the Cherries reportedly keen on making that move permanent come the end of the campaign. The outfit would be incredibly unlikely to pay the £71.6 million forked out by Chelsea in 2018, but could pay a fee that would allow the Blues to cash in on their surplus goalkeeper, who was on loan at Real Madrid last term.
However, Spanish outlet Marca claims that Kepa does not currently want to make a permanent move to the Vitality Stadium, making it 'difficult' for the club to pursue any deal. The report adds that Iraola is hopeful of convincing the player to stay, but that at the moment Kepa intends on returning to Chelsea.
Kepa praises Andoni Iraola
Kepa has spoken highly of Iraola during his time with the club. Earlier this season after the side beat Arsenal 2-0, he said: "He’s one of the best coaches in the league, and this is the strongest league, which says a lot about him.
"You have a mix of coaches and a mix of styles in the Premier League, but the team is very much in tune with what the coach wants and we are lucky to have a manager like him. I’m very proud to be part of this team and for our people who came to see us play against Arsenal, they can see our spirit and we gave them a beautiful evening."