Kepa Arrizabalaga

Kepa Arrizabalaga Revuelta is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Chelsea. He is sometimes referred to simply as Kepa.

A Basque native, Arrizabalaga began his senior club career with Athletic Bilbao. He played for Basconia, and joined Ponferradina and Real Valladolid on consecutive loans, between 2011 and 2016. He then returned to Bilbao and became a first-team regular; in 2018, he was the subject of a record association football transfer when he moved to Chelsea in a transfer worth €80 million (£72 million), a record fee for a goalkeeper. There, he won the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup.

A Welcome Note

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Career In Numbers

As of match played 29 October 2022

Games Played

1 +

Clean Sheets

1 +

Major Trophies

Journey to Stardom

My Career Path As a Professional Footballer

Born in Ondarroa, Biscay, Basque Country, Arrizabalaga joined Athletic Bilbao’s youth setup at Lezama in 2004, aged ten. He made his senior debut with the farm team in January 2012, in Tercera División.

On 5 May 2012, Arrizabalaga was called up to the main squad for a La Liga match against Getafe CF. He was also called up to pre-season in July, and on 23 September was also a substitute in another home game of the same outcome, against Málaga CF.

Arrizabalaga was promoted to the reserves in January 2013, to cover for injured Jon Ander Serantes. He made his debut for the B-side on 16 February 2013, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win over UD Logroñés in the Segunda División B. On 3 March, he was sent off towards the end of a 3–1 home win over SD Amorebieta, as was teammate Jon García; in April he suffered a pubalgia, only returning to the fields in September.

Arrizabalaga appeared regularly for the B’s after his return, but broke the first metacarpal of his right hand in January 2014, being sidelined for a month. On 11 March, Getafe submitted a loan request to the Lions for him, as a replacement to injured Miguel Ángel Moyá, but it was rejected a day later.

On 5 January 2015, Arrizabalaga was loaned to Segunda División club SD Ponferradina until June. He made his professional debut on the 11th, starting in a 1–1 home draw against Racing de Santander

On 20 July 2015, Arrizabalaga moved to Real Valladolid, also of the second tier, in a season-long loan deal. He played his first competitive game on 22 August, in a 0–1 loss at Córdoba CF, and missed only three matches as his team finished 16th.

After returning from loan, Arrizabalaga was included in the first team, initially as third-choice behind Gorka Iraizoz and Iago Herrerín. He made his debut in the top flight on 11 September 2016, starting in a 1–0 away win over Deportivo de La Coruña.

On 22 January 2018, amid heavy transfer speculation linking him to Real Madrid, Arrizabalaga renewed his contract – due to expire that June – until 2025.

On 8 August 2018, Athletic Bilbao announced on their website that Arrizabalaga had paid his required release clause (€80 million / £71.6 million), making him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper only weeks after the record was set by Alisson’s transfer to Liverpool. Later that day, his move to Chelsea on a seven-year contract was confirmed, replacing Thibaut Courtois who departed for Real Madrid. He made his Premier League debut three days later in a 3–0 away win against Huddersfield Town, going on to keep six clean sheets in the team’s 12-match unbeaten run in the league.

On 24 January 2019, in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, Arrizabalaga saved a penalty from Tottenham’s Lucas Moura in a 4–2 penalty shoot-out win at Stamford Bridge, helping his team go through to the final. So far, Kepa has helped Chelsea to win major trophies including the Champions League, Europa League, and Club World Cup.

After appearing for Spain’s under-18s, Arrizabalaga was called up to the under-19 team for that year’s UEFA European Championship. He was the starter during the tournament, as his side were crowned champions; highlights included a 3–3 semi-final success against France, where he saved two penalties in the shootout.

Arrizabalaga missed the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup due to injury, being replaced in the tournament squad by Rubén Yáñez. On 8 November 2013 he was called up to the under-21 team, along with Athletic teammate Iker Muniain.

Arrizabalaga was called up to the senior side on 22 March 2017 ahead of a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Israel and a friendly with France, as a late replacement for the injured Pepe Reina. He earned his first cap on 11 November of that year, playing the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 friendly win over Costa Rica in Málaga.

Arrizabalaga was named in Spain’s 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia