Arsenal have completed a deal to sign goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea, the club has confirmed.
ESPN has reported that Kepa, 30, had emerged as a top target for Mikel Arteta as a back-up to No.1 David Raya.
Kepa spent last two seasons on loan at Real Madrid and AFC Bournemouth, respectively.
Sources told ESPN that Arsenal were also keen on signing Joan García from Espanyol, but the 24-year-old joined La Liga champions Barcelona instead.
Kepa kept nine clean sheets in 35 games during his year on loan at Bournemouth, with the club having the Premier League’s sixth-best defensive record in 2024-25.
He will replace Neto at Arsenal as the Brazilian goalkeeper returns to Bournemouth following a year on loan in north London.
Kepa joined Chelsea from Athletic Club in 2018 on a seven-year contract in a €80 million ($93m) deal that made him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper, who won the Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge, bid farewell to Chelsea fans in a post on Instagram.
“Thank you Chelsea. After seven unforgettable years, the time has come to close a very special chapter in my life. Chelsea was my home, my family, and the place where I grew both as a footballer and as a person,” he said.
