Sources: Major update on Kepa Arrizabalaga's Chelsea future
Chelsea are in no rush to hand goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga a new contract despite his recent return to form, sources have told Football Insider.
The 28-year-old, who has surpassed Edouard Mendy in Graham Potter's pecking order, will have two years to run on his current deal in the summer.
However, Football Insider revealed on Monday (20 March) that Chelsea are set to battle Man United and Tottenham to land a new number one in the next transfer window.
Chelsea need to trim their bloated squad in the off-season in order to balance the books after a mammoth transfer spend of almost £540million during the 2022-23 campaign.
Arrizabalaga is on a reported wage of £150,000-a-week following his world-record arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2018.
The Blues are reluctant to spend that figure on a player who would be second-choice behind any new goalkeeper signing.
The former Athletic Club shot-stopper, who was called up to the Spain squad for this month's Euro 2024 qualifiers, has kept 11 clean sheets in 27 outings across all competitions this season.
He was frozen out of the Chelsea side in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns, making just a handful of appearances as Mendy's backup.
The Senegal international was between the sticks as the Blues achieved success in the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Chelsea have already moved for one goalkeeper this term, signing Gabriel Slonina, 18, from Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire.
Sources told this site on Tuesday (21 March) that the club believe the starlet is capable of becoming the club’s long-term first-choice goalkeeper in the future.