Saudi Arabia could swoop for Maurizio Sarri flop and earn Chelsea millions

Chelsea could finally get some good cash from the sale of Kepa Arrizabalaga, with reports suggesting that N’Golo Kante’s team in Saudi Arabia is interested in signing him this summer.

Last summer, Chelsea were able to offload unwanted players, with clubs in Saudi Arabia paying good money, which eventually helped the Blues navigate a difficult Premier League sustainability threat.

Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly both headed to the Middle East by joining Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal respectively. Although the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were tipped to go there, they opted to stay in Europe. Midfielder N’Golo Kante, who is still playing for France at the Euros, also turned down a contract offer from Chelsea to move to the Middle East with Al-Ittihad.

Chelsea broke the transfer record for a goalkeeper when they agreed a £71.6million with Athletic Bilbao for Kepa in 2018 under then manager Maurizio Sarri. He started his Chelsea career brilliantly but faded away and was eventually replaced by Edouard Mendy who helped them win the Champions League in 2021.

The Saudi option could help Chelsea with another financial boost: 

Kepa has one year left on his contract and is one of the highest-paid Chelsea players, so there is a feeling that getting him off the wage bill could bolster the squad and even give them space to bring in younger players. According to TEAMtalk, Al-Ittihad is considering a deal for Kepa, which brings up the possibility of him reuniting with Kante and also playing alongside other well-known stars such as Karim Benzema and Fabinho.

Chelsea's new manager Enzo Maresca is reportedly happy with Robert Sanchez as his number one for next season, with Dorde Petrovic, who deputized well in Sanchez’s absence, as his backup. Real Madrid were open to keeping Kepa for another season on loan, especially as Andriy Lunin, who excelled in the absence of Thibaut Courtois, was linked with an exit after he was left out of the Champions League final.

However, Chelsea are open to an outright sale as they look to balance the books and stay within sustainability rules.