August 9 – The world record fee for a goalkeeper has been smashed yet again with Chelsea signing Spain’s Kepa Arrizabalaga for €80 million as the summer transfer window in the UK prepares to slam shut.
Premier League clubs voted to bringing the transfer deadline, traditionally the end of August, forward in order for all deals to be done before the season kicks off.
But with the new campaign beginning on Saturday, that has led to a mad scramble with many clubs likely to be left empty-handed with less time than usual to bring in targets they have been seeking all summer.
With the window closing at 5pm UK time today, Chelsea have managed to bring in Arrizabalaga as an instant replacement for Thibaut Courtois who is joining Real Madrid.
Arrizabalaga becomes the most expensive goalkeeper in football history, ahead of Liverpool’s Alisson, who recently moved from AS Roma for 75 million.
Arrizabalaga has played 53 La Liga matches for Athletic Bilbao since breaking into the team in 2016. “It’s a very important decision for me, for my career, and also for my personal life,” he said.
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