Chelsea boss Frank Lampard may be resisted by Roman Abramovich and the Stamford Bridge hierarchy if he tries to get rid of Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer, reports claim. The Blues have already made a positive start to the transfer window with Timo Werner poised to join Hakim Ziyech in signing on the dotted line. Yet Lampard’s attempts to sign a new goalkeeper look likely to be thwarted.
Chelsea signed Kepa from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2018.
They paid £72million to land the Spain international with the club convinced he would be the ideal replacement for Thibaut Courtois, who joined Real Madrid.
However, Kepa has struggled for consistency throughout his time in west London - and has been repeatedly dropped by Lampard this season.
According to The Times, though, the Chelsea manager is likely to be met with resistance by Abramovich and the club’s hierarchy if he tries to offload Kepa.
The Blues have been tipped to land Borussia Dortmund’s Roman Burki when the transfer window reopens at the end of the campaign.
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“It’s one of those ones where he was always going to have a little downturn in form because he played so many games (54) last season.
“But he had that little spell out of the team this season and then came back in the FA Cup and got man of the match against Liverpool, which might have done him a favour, just mentally.
“I think because of the price tag the expectation has been far greater.
“Everyone’s been waxing lyrical about [Dean] Henderson at Sheffield United, Kepa’s not that much older than him [23].
“But because there’s this huge price tag on his shoulders, you’re thinking that he’s the finished article. I wasn’t the finished article at 25 as a goalkeeper and I don’t think Kepa is either.”