
Kepa sends message to David Raya after completing transfer from Chelsea
The 30-year-old Spaniard spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, making 35 appearances in all competitions.
Arsenal had brought in Neto from the Cherries as back-up to Raya, but the Brazilian has returned to the Cherries following the end of his own season-long loan.
Kepa, who spent the 2023/24 campaign at Real Madrid, has signed a three-year deal after Arsenal agreed to pay a fee of £5million.
'I'm really, really happy to be here, really excited and looking forward to what is coming,' Kepa told Arsenal's website.
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'The ambition that is shown in this club, when I talk with Mikel (Arteta) and (goalkeeping coach) Inaki (Cana), how much they show me their desire to win, I think we are so close to winning and, hopefully, altogether, we can achieve it.'
Kepa became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when he joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in a £71m deal during the summer of 2018, going on to win the Europa League and Champions League with the Blues as well as the 2023 UEFA Nations League with Spain.
'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.
'I arrived full of dreams and I leave with unforgettable memories: titles like the Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup… but above all, moments shared with incredible people on and off the pitch.
'Thank you to the coaches, the staff, my teammates, and most of all, to you, the fans. 'Wearing this badge has been an honour and a source of pride.
'Now a new chapter begins, and I face it with the same passion and commitment as always. I leave with a heart full of gratitude. With love and respect.'
Raya, meanwhile, is firmly established as the club's first choice having cemented his status after ousting Aaron Ramsdale.
The former Brentford star has won back-to-back Golden Glove Awards and although Kepa is under no illusions as to the challenge that faces him he is ready to push Raya all the way.
He said: 'He's a great goalkeeper and we have a very good relationship. We will compete, we will train together, we will share a lot of time together.
'We will have competition, as with all the positions in the team, but with the only goal that is to win and be the best ones.' More Trending
A delighted Mikel Arteta added: 'We are really happy to have Kepa joining us. He is a player we know, having come up against him many times in recent seasons.
'He brings a wealth of experience, which his teammates will benefit from, and he has a real hunger to win.
'Kepa works hard and will elevate our levels. I know he will fit in perfectly, already knowing some of his teammates, and we are really excited about his future with us.'
MORE: The best and worst Arsenal and Chelsea players as Kepa Arrizabalaga completes shock transfer
MORE: Arsenal urged to reconsider move for 'raw' £60m transfer target
MORE: Aston Villa transfer odds: The fight is on to keep Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez amid Manchester United links
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