Soccer-Arsenal sign Spanish keeper Kepa from Chelsea
(Reuters) -Arsenal have signed Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea, the Premier League side said on Tuesday, with media reporting that the club triggered a five million pounds ($6.86 million) release clause to buy the world's most expensive goalkeeper.
Kepa, 30, joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 for 71 million pounds, but after winning the Europa League in 2019, the Champions League two years later, and the Club World Cup in 2022, the keeper has spent the last two seasons on loan.
Last season, Kepa was Bournemouth's regular goalkeeper in the Premier League and in the previous campaign he made 20 appearances for Real Madrid, helping the Spanish club win LaLiga and the Champions League.
Before joining Bournemouth last August, Kepa extended his Chelsea contract until 2026, and has signed a three-year deal with Arsenal, British media reports said, where he will wear the number 13 shirt and provide backup for David Raya.
($1 = 0.7289 pounds)
(Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Christian Radnedge)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
37 minutes ago
- The Star
Soccer-Underdogs and heat dominate debate as Club World Cup enters final stages
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Round of 16 - Flamengo v Bayern Munich - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 29, 2025 General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -The inaugural expanded Club World Cup has delivered a spectacle on the pitch, with underdog triumphs and captivating support from South American and Arabic fans. However, concerns over player welfare and lukewarm attendances in the United States have sparked debate as the tournament approaches its final stages. What many expected to be a European-dominated affair has instead seen shock eliminations of UEFA Champions League heavyweights. Brazilian sides Flamengo, Botafogo, and Fluminense, alongside Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, have scripted some of the tournament's most thrilling stories. Fluminense stunned Inter Milan with a 2-0 win in the Round of 16, while Al Hilal delivered a seismic upset by knocking out Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami also played their part earlier in the tournament, defeating Porto 2-1 in the group stage - ending a 13-year unbeaten run for European teams against clubs from other continents in the competition. Meanwhile, Botafogo and Flamengo claimed memorable group-stage victories over Paris St Germain and Chelsea respectively, while Palmeiras secured their quarter-final berth with a dramatic extra-time win over Botafogo in an all-Brazilian clash. EXTREME WEATHER While the on-field action has enthralled the fans, challenges off the pitch have raised eyebrows. The American summer's extreme weather — scorching heat and unexpected thunderstorms — has disrupted matches and raised serious concerns ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will also be held in North America. The soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity have fueled major complaints from players and coaches and have global players' union FIFPRO exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat. Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered 'extreme risk' for heat-related illness, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for more mandatory cooling aids during matches or schedule changes. "Heat conditions are a serious topic that affect football globally," world soccer's governing body FIFA told Reuters. "Discussions on how to deal with heat conditions need to take place collectively ... The protection of players must be at the centre." With the semi-finals and final scheduled for 3pm local time at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, where temperatures could reach 32 degrees Celsius, the heat debate is set to intensify. Suggestions for 2026 include scheduling midday games in covered stadiums to combat heat stress. Thunderstorms have also caused disruptions, with matches suspended as players left the pitch and fans sought shelter. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca criticised having the United States as hosts after a two-hour weather delay marred his team's last-16 win over Benfica in Charlotte. Their knockout match in a half-empty stadium of under 26,000 at the start showed how attendances have also been underwhelming for matches involving European clubs, with South American and Arabic fans providing much of the tournament's vibrancy. Despite the excitement on the pitch, FIFA's website still lists plenty of tickets available for remaining games, including next-week's semi-finals and the July 13 final, raising questions about the tournament's broader appeal in the U.S. As FIFA reflects on the Club World Cup's successes and challenges, the lessons learned will be critical in shaping the path to the 2026 World Cup where similar issues may loom large. (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ken Ferris)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Tennis-Tarvet's Wimbledon journey ends with Alcaraz lesson in mental toughness
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 2, 2025 Britain's Oliver Tarvet in action during his second round match against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz REUTERS/Isabel Infantes LONDON (Reuters) -As his Wimbledon journey was brought to a close by holder Carlos Alcaraz, Ollie Tarvet discovered the hard way that the difference between the very best and the rest is frequently in the astonishing mental strength of the elite. Britain's Tarvet, ranked 733 in the world, went toe-to-toe with Alcaraz for large chunks of his 6-1 6-4 6-4 defeat, exchanging punishing shots from the baseline and chasing down every last ball to keep the pressure on his illustrious opponent. But in the brief moments he let his focus drift, five-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz was ready to pounce, inflicting maximum damage in short, sharp bursts that took the contest out of the reach of the British qualifier. "I think just a big difference, something I learned today, was just how difficult mentally it is," he said. "I've played against some really good players before, but not quite the level of Alcaraz. "I feel like as soon as I had 95% focus, I lost a game. You saw that today when I made a big emotional push to break him twice, and then I got broken to love straight back. "It was because I gave everything, kind of emptied the tank for that game to break him. Then you have to hold. Again, it's just really, really difficult to keep that 100% focus and 100% intensity." Tarvet is a college student in the United States and has no immediate plans to join the full-time grind of the men's tour. His prize money for losing in the second round was 99,000 pounds ($134,966) but due to his amateur status he is only allowed to pocket a maximum of $10,000 under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules. He had to battle through qualifying to earn his spot in the tournament and was the lowest-ranked player to begin the men's singles draw. Tarvet had his moments against Alcaraz, firing up the home crowd with his never-say-die attitude and sporadically flashing winners past the Spaniard, who was perhaps not at his best. Yet in the crunch moments, the world number two seemed to have other gears at his disposal that Tarvet lacked. "I feel like a thing is he's so effortless," the Briton said. "It doesn't feel like he's hitting the ball that hard, but it comes through so quick and so heavy ... He's such a complete tennis player." The 21-year-old admitted that he had woken up a couple of times in the night, while his heart was beating more quickly in the car en route to Wimbledon. Yet the experience of testing himself against the twice defending champion on Wimbledon's famous Centre Court in front of a crowd desperate for him to succeed was one he would not forget. "Even though it was not the result that I wanted today, it was definitely the most special day of my life," he said. ($1 = 0.7335 pounds) (Reporting by Toby Davis; Editing by Ken Ferris)
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Alcaraz ends Tarvet fairytale to reach Wimbledon third round
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 2, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning his second round match against Britain's Oliver Tarvet REUTERS/Isabel Infantes LONDON (Reuters) -Carlos Alcaraz was in no mood to suffer probably the biggest upset in Wimbledon history as he ended world number 733 Ollie Tarvet's hopes of a fairytale victory to reach the third round with a clinical 6-1 6-4 6-4 win on Wednesday. Fired up by a home crowd who could not get enough of Tarvet's tireless running and dogged resistance, the Briton was more than a capable sparring partner for Alcaraz, whose heavyweight hitting was in the end simply too much for the lowest-ranked player to begin the men's singles draw. Qualifier Tarvet's first-round opponent had described him as a wall, but twice defending champion Alcaraz is the sort of wrecking ball who pays little heed to such obstructions. The five-times Grand Slam champion had to save eight break points in the first set, but lost only one game and broke twice himself to move ahead in the contest. The 21-year-old Tarvet, a U.S. college student in San Diego, finally broke the Spaniard's serve to go 2-0 up in the second set but that seemed to jolt Alcaraz awake and he won the next four points to break back immediately. Another break in the ninth game was enough for Alcaraz to take the second set but the contest still had flickers of life left in it. The world number two broke to go 3-2 up in the third set but Tarvet, who had no intention of lying down and accepting his fate, struck back in the next game. Alcaraz was once again roused into action and once more won the following four points to claim the decisive break that allowed him to see out the contest. A thundering service winner on match point brought the crowd to their feet, as much to acclaim Tarvet's efforts as 22-year-old Alcaraz's comfortable win. Alcaraz patted the Briton on the back as he left the court before graciously saluting his opponent's performance. "I just loved his game to be honest," the Spaniard said on court. "I knew at the beginning I had to play my best tennis." (Reporting by Toby Davis; Editing by Ken Ferris)
