Reports indicate that Real Madrid harbors concerns regarding goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, and it appears likely that he will head back to Chelsea once his loan deal concludes.
Chelsea invested £71.6m in acquiring the Spanish goalkeeper in 2018; however, his inconsistent performances led to a competition for a spot in the starting XI with Edouard Mendy for significant periods.
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When Mauricio Pochettino took over as head coach this summer and sold Mendy to Saudi club Al-Ahli, he expressed a desire for Arrizabalaga to remain at Stamford Bridge.
Nevertheless, the 29-year-old chose to join Real Madrid on a one-year loan deal.
As a result, Chelsea secured Robert Sanchez as the new No.1 goalkeeper. Spanish outlet AS suggests that Arrizabalaga is expected to return to Chelsea at the end of the season.
Real Madrid brought in Arrizabalaga as emergency cover for Thibaut Courtois, who suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament injury.
However, Arrizabalaga was never the first choice for the Spanish club. Originally, Real Madrid aimed to sign Bono from Sevilla, but he opted for a move to Saudi club Al Hilal.
Doubts at Real Madrid reportedly center around Arrizabalaga’s aerial ability and command of his penalty area. Despite recent injury setbacks, he now faces competition from Andriy Lunin for a place in the Real Madrid XI.
Upon his anticipated return to England, Arrizabalaga could compete with Sanchez for the No.1 role at Chelsea.
The Spanish goalkeeper is under contract until 2025 and had previously been linked strongly to Bayern Munich before his move to the Spanish capital.
