Chelsea ‘keeper a target for Newcastle as he looks to end nightmare Blues spell

Chelsea endured a rare afternoon to forget on Saturday, as they were beaten 4-1 at home by West London rivals Brentford. 

The likes of Ivan Toney and Christian Eriksen shone for the Bees, while Chelsea’s backline left a lot to be desired.

Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who has enjoyed almost unparalleled success over the past 12 months, delivered a below par performance, as did almost all of his ten teammates in front of him.

Now, though, it appears that Newcastle United are preparing a move for Mendy’s deputy, Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga.

According to Fichajes via Sport Witness, the 27-year-old is being considered by the Magpies as they look to bolster their goalkeeping options ahead of next season.

Kepa is one of two goalkeepers being chased by Newcastle, the other being his compatriot, Brighton’s Robert Sanchez.

Kepa could be on his way out of Chelsea this summer

The former Athletic Bilbao man has endured a tough time in West London, with his disastrous form during the 2019/20 season prompting Chelsea to sign Mendy.

Since the Senegalese’s arrival, however, Kepa has shown improvement when called upon, keeping eight clean sheets in 15 games across all competitions so far this season, and most notably making crucial saves in the penalty shoot-out to decide the UEFA Super Cup final.

Magpies boss Eddie Howe reportedly ‘likes Kepa a lot’ and the club feel that, with the situation at Chelsea still up in the air, a move for the player could be achievable this summer.

It is also suggested that, given the uncertainty at Chelsea at present, a number of clubs are looking into the prospect of taking advantage by luring Blues players away from SW6.

If Kepa was to depart, Chelsea would likely look elsewhere for reinforcements, with their only other senior goalkeeper currently Marcus Bettinelli.