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Bournemouth release 14 players and make decision on Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga in end of season retained list
Bournemouth release 14 players and make decision on Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga in end of season retained list

Scottish Sun

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • Scottish Sun

Bournemouth release 14 players and make decision on Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga in end of season retained list

On-loan star Kepa is being eyed by a Prem rival CHERRY PICKS Bournemouth release 14 players and make decision on Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga in end of season retained list Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BOURNEMOUTH have announced FOURTEEN players are out on the South Coast. The Cherries enjoyed a superb 2024/25 and finished ninth in the Premier League. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Andoni Iraola led Bournemouth to an impressive top-half finish last season Credit: Getty 3 Keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has now returned to parent club Chelsea Credit: Getty Andoni Iraola masterminded an unlikely push for the European places last term. And much of Bournemouth's success was built on a strong defensive foundation. The Cherries achieved their best-ever defensive record in the Premier League, conceding only 46 goals. On-loan keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga proved a hit after signing for the season from Chelsea. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL FRANK DISCUSSION Tottenham AGREE deal to make Thomas Frank new manager after Ange axe Kepa, 30, has now made his return to his parent club after keeping 8 Prem clean sheets. But he might now be in West London for long, with Arsenal reportedly close to sealing a move for the Spaniard. Kepa has just 12 months left on his contract with Chelsea having made 35 appearances at Bournemouth in all competitions. The Gunners are ready to activate his £5m release clause. 3 BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Bournemouth have also announced four players are leaving from their development team. Lewis Brown, Coby Small, Kian Tydeman and Toure Williams have not been offered new deals. Premier League's Biggest Spenders: Top 10 Seasons All are now free to find new clubs. A further nine second-year scholars are also departing. Ryan Carroll, Joshua Hamilton-Olise, Kashanga Kasukumya, Teodor Minchev, Sonny Parkes, Joshua Salmon, William Seeley, Tommy Whitehead and Jay Williams have all been released. The Cherries are bracing for offers on some of their breakout stars from last season. Milos Kerkez is expected to join Premier League champions Liverpool. While £70million-rated Antoine Semenyo is being eyed by Manchester United.

7 Premier League transfers that should happen this week including Arsenal swoop
7 Premier League transfers that should happen this week including Arsenal swoop

Daily Mirror

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • Daily Mirror

7 Premier League transfers that should happen this week including Arsenal swoop

The Club World Cup has sparked a number of early transfers and Manchester City and Chelsea are set to be particularly busy forming their squad for the tournament in the United States Premier League clubs have already been very busy in the transfer window, which will - for the first time ever - open and close twice this summer. Due to the revamped Club World Cup, which begins on June 15, the window opened early on June 1 and will close on June 10. It will then open again on June 16, before closing for the second time on September 1. A number of big moves have already been completed, with Manchester United notably spending £62.5million to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves. ‌ Liverpool have also signed Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5m as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold after he made the move to Real Madrid. Chelsea have strengthened their attack with the £30m addition of Liam Delap. ‌ Plenty more deals could be concluded before the window shuts for the first time but the clock is ticking down. Chelsea and Manchester City in particular will hope to see deals get over the line in time for their trips to the US. Mirror Football has taken a look at seven transfers that may be completed in the coming days. Triple Man City swoop Manchester City are yet to make any signings so far this summer, but deals for three players could be wrapped up soon. Pep Guardiola's team don't want a repeat of last season's results and hope to revitalise their squad. AC Milan star Tijjani Reijnders is set to join in a £46.3m deal, having confirmed that a move is imminent while away on international duty with the Netherlands. "The medical? I couldn't wait to do it," he told Gazzetta. "The plan is to take part at the Club World Cup with City. I'm really excited about that. Doing that means I'll get to know my new team-mates soon." ‌ City have also agreed terms to sign Lyon star Rayan Cherki and Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, with both deals set to cost around £35m. The latter is also said to have undergone a medical, while Cherki's Nations League duties finished on Sunday as he helped secure France's third-place finish. Speaking last week, Cherki confirmed a deal was pending. "It's getting done," he said. "But you already know my answer, everybody knows. But there's still a game to play. Now we have to enjoy and give everything, but after it will be done." ‌ Kepa to Arsenal Kepa Arrizabalaga is on the verge of joining Arsenal in a cut-price deal. The Spaniard spent last season on loan at Bournemouth from Chelsea and has a £5m release clause in his contract. The goalkeeper, who joined the Blues for £72m in 2018, signed a new deal at Stamford Bridge 12 months ago before joining the Cherries. That contract saw the introduction of a release clause as he took a pay-cut. ‌ Kepa is keen to join Mikel Arteta's team to battle for his place against first-choice option David Raya. Chelsea want two players for Club World Cup Enzo Maresca's team are heading to the United States for the Club World Cup and could yet see deals get over the line. The west London side are closing in on the £15m signing of Mike Maignan from AC Milan and want the Frenchman to play in the competition. ‌ The Serie A side had wanted £25m for the goalkeeper who is out of contract next summer. Personal terms are believed to already be agreed between player and club ahead of the move. Chelsea also want to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens. The 20-year-old winger is said to have agreed a seven-year deal with the Blues. ‌ A bid of £29.5m has been tabled, though it is some way short of Gittens' £50m release clause. The ex-Manchester City academy star has three years remaining on his contract, but the funds could help for Dortmund's activity in time for their own Club World Cup campaign. Bellingham to Dortmund Borussia Dortmund are moving to sign Jobe Bellingham from newly-promoted Premier League side Sunderland. A £31m deal has been agreed to see the 19-year-old join the side where his older brother, Jude, made his name. Bellingham has been named in England's European under-21 Championship squad but could yet be released to play in the Club World Cup, if a deal is confirmed in time. Sunderland are set to receive £26.96m up front with a further £4.2m available in add-ons as Bellingham signs a five-year deal.

How 9 ex-Chelsea stars have fared at Arsenal as Gunners edge close to £5m deal
How 9 ex-Chelsea stars have fared at Arsenal as Gunners edge close to £5m deal

Daily Mirror

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • Daily Mirror

How 9 ex-Chelsea stars have fared at Arsenal as Gunners edge close to £5m deal

Arsenal are poised to sign another Chelsea player in the summer transfer window - and they have a long history of doing so, with Kepa Arrizabalaga ready to follow in the footsteps of others Arsenal have made a habit out of signing players from their rivals Chelsea in recent years – and they are close to repeating the trick. The Gunners are in the market for a back-up goalkeeper in the summer transfer window and Chelsea have what they need. This time it is Kepa Arrizabalaga who appears set to make the switch between the London rivals, with a £5million transfer lined up. Kepa spent last season on loan with Bournemouth and, after Neto returned to the Cherries following a campaign with Arsenal, they are now eyeing the Spaniard. ‌ He moved to Stamford Bridge in a £72m deal seven seasons ago from Athletic Bilbao, but is now available for a cut-price fee. Should the deal go through, Kepa will provide competition to his compatriot David Raya in north London. ‌ It remains to be seen how the move will go down – but Kepa is following in a long line of Chelsea players to move to Arsenal. Here Mirror Football takes a look at how his predecessors have fared. William Gallas The ultimate in controversial moves between London clubs. Gallas swapped Chelsea for Arsenal in 2006 after winning back-to-back Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge under Jose Mourinho. Things went sour – and after reportedly threatening to score an own goal if selected – he left for Arsenal. Never one to hide from the spotlight, Gallas was often the main character during his time at Arsenal, where he made 142 appearances and scored 17 goals. Best remembered for his infamous strop against Birmingham in February 2008, when he sat down on the pitch. Lassana Diarra Hardly a memorable move. Diarra struggled at Chelsea and then struggled at Arsenal. The French midfielder made just seven league appearances in 2007/08 before being flogged to Portsmouth five months later. Petr Cech A fantastic move for Arsenal. Cech won 15 trophies in 11 years at Chelsea, yet his status as a blue didn't undermine his work as a Gunner. He won the Golden Glove during his first season at Arsenal after keeping 16 Premier League clean sheets in 2015/16, stayed for four years and won the FA Cup with the Gunners. ‌ Yossi Benayoun The Israel international, who also played for West Ham and Liverpool, moved on loan from Chelsea to Arsenal for the 2011/12 season. He got six goals and three assists in 25 appearances across all competitions as Arsenal finished third. Willian Here's one that didn't work out. Willian enjoyed a very productive time at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League in seven years with the club. But when they wouldn't give him a new three-year deal, he opted to join Arsenal on a free transfer. ‌ The Gunners handed out a three-year deal and were made to regret it. He finished the 2020/21 season with just one goal in 37 appearances across all competitions and that was that. David Luiz A very divisive player. The Brazilian centre-back, who was known for his passing ability and penchant for shooting from distance, swapped Chelsea for Arsenal in 2019, like Cech. He lasted two seasons in north London after signing for £8m. ‌ While there were the typical moments of madness, including three red cards and conceding six penalties in his 53 Premier League appearances for the club, there were some good times too. Luiz helped Arsenal win the FA Cup and was a well-liked member of the dressing room before leaving for Flamengo in 2021. Jorginho Mikel Arteta was very keen to land Jorginho in 2023, with the Italy international's experience and leadership rated highly by the Arsenal boss. He got his man and Jorginho stayed for two seasons, becoming a key player in midfield alongside Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey. The 33-year-old has now left for Flamengo, but his influence is greater than many players who only played two seasons at the club. ‌ Kai Havertz The £65m Arsenal paid Chelsea to sign Havertz in June 2023 was widely ridiculed at the time, with fans confused why Arteta would sanction such a spend on a utility forward who, while a good player, wasn't a world-class one. He's shown why in the following two years, becoming a real fan-favourite with his own chant that references the transfer fee. Havertz has 29 goals and 13 assists in 87 matches for Arsenal – not far off the tally of 32 goals, 16 assists that he managed in 139 games for Chelsea – and his importance to the side was obvious when he was injured at the back end of the 2024/25 season. ‌ Raheem Sterling Arteta was behind this deal, too, having worked with Sterling during his time as a coach at Manchester City. Sterling joined Arsenal on loan for the 2024/25 season but never found his feet, with one goal and five assists in 28 appearances all that the Gunners got from the move. Sterling was scarcely used by Arteta, who frequently left him on the bench, leaving fans to wonder why the loan was sanctioned in the first place.

Transfer news LIVE: Chelsea submit bid to sign Gittens, Liverpool make £113m Wirtz offer, Inter inquire about Hojlund
Transfer news LIVE: Chelsea submit bid to sign Gittens, Liverpool make £113m Wirtz offer, Inter inquire about Hojlund

The Irish Sun

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • The Irish Sun

Transfer news LIVE: Chelsea submit bid to sign Gittens, Liverpool make £113m Wirtz offer, Inter inquire about Hojlund

THE thrills and spills of the summer transfer window are finally here - with some huge deals already in the pipeline. Meanwhile, Elsewhere, Inter have made an inquiry about out-of-form Follow ALL the latest news, moves and completed deals with our live blog below... By Go and Gitt him Chelsea have launched a bid for Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, according to reports. And a seven-year contract has already been agreed. The Blues are keen to add the England Under-21 international to their squad this summer. And Copy link Copied By On the Go? Angel Gomes could be set for a reunion with former Manchester United team-mate Mason Greenwood. Gomes' contract at Lille expires this summer. There has been interest from Tottenham and West Ham in the midfielder. But RMC Sport state he is closing in on joining Roberto De Zerbi's Marseille, where fellow ex-Red Devils academy graduate Greenwood is. Copy link Copied By City's Nou signing Manchester City are set to complete the signing of Wolves full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri tomorrow. According to Fabrizio Romano, he underwent his medical today. And therefore it is only a matter of time before the paperwork is completed - with pen set to be put to paper tomorrow. That will mean Ait-Nouri can link up with his new team-mates for the Club World Cup. Credit: Alamy Copy link Copied By Gunners close on Chelsea keeper Arsenal are on the verge of signing Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, reports claim. And the Gunners will pay just a £5m release clause to their London rivals who once made Kepa the world's most expensive goalkeeper. Arsenal had made Kepa their top target as they look to recruit a deputy to first-choice goalkeeper David Raya. But the 30-year-old Spanish stopper, who just enjoyed a solid season at Bournemouth, won't settle for a No 2 spot. According to the Athletic, Kepa is on the cusp of moving to the Emirates. Kepa has a £5m release clause in his Chelsea contract, which he signed before joining the Cherries on a season-long loan. Copy link Copied By Not so sweet 16 Ange Postecoglou was sacked 16 days after winning the Europa League - and now a theory has emerged as to why Spurs waited til then. It marked exactly two years to the day from when the Australian landed the job in North London. BBC senior football reporters Ian Dennis and Sami Mokbel discussed the sacking on the And there is a thinking the decision was made prior to the win in Bilbao because of the woeful league campaign. Dennis shared a theory that explained the over two-week wait for the confirmation. He tweeted: "Interesting his departure was timed after he had completed two years and on the first day of his third year. Significant in any settlement?" Postecoglou has reportedly He already collected a £2m bonus for getting the club into the Champions League. Copy link Copied By Not so sweet 16 Ange Postecoglou was sacked 16 days after winning the Europa League - and now a theory has emerged as to why Spurs waited til then. It marked exactly two years to the day from when the Australian landed the job in North London. BBC senior football reporters Ian Dennis and Sami Mokbel discussed the sacking on the And there is a thinking the decision was made prior to the win in Bilbao because of the woeful league campaign. Dennis shared a theory that explained the over two-week wait for the confirmation. He tweeted: "Interesting his departure was timed after he had completed two years and on the first day of his third year. Significant in any settlement?" Postecoglou has reportedly He already collected a £2m bonus for getting the club into the Champions League. Copy link Copied By Dom race A host of Premier League clubs are targeting a move for free agent Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The 28-year-old forward is set to leave Everton after nine seasons. TBR Football claim Man Utd, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham are all eyeing the former England striker. Credit: Getty Copy link Copied By Mex appeal Former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey is being targeted by Mexican giants Pumas as Cardiff City dither over offering him the full-time manager's post. Ramsey took the reins at Cardiff City Stadium in April and oversaw the Bluebirds' final three Championship matches of the season. The ex-Gunner - who has not played a game for Cardiff since March - is a target for the Pumas, according to Mexican TV reporter Andres Vaca. Credit: Getty Copy link Copied By Ferm denial Barcelona have knocked back a bid from Chelsea for Fermin Lopez, reports claim. Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo report the Blues bid £59million for the midfielder. Chelsea also offered Christopher Nkunku in a swap deal, but that was also turned down by the Catalan giants. Copy link Copied By Ferm denial Barcelona have knocked back a bid from Chelsea for Fermin Lopez, reports claim. Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo report the Blues bid £59million for the midfielder. Chelsea also offered Christopher Nkunku in a swap deal, but that was also turned down by the Catalan giants. Copy link Copied By Kop top up Liverpool have reportedly made an improved offer for Florian Wirtz. The Premier League champions are hopeful of reaching an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen, despite already seeing a £109m bid rejected. TalkSPORT claim Liverpool's new deal is worth £113m. The Bundesliga club are believed to be demanding £126m, which would smash the British transfer record. Credit: Getty Copy link Copied By To the Victors Victor Osimhen is nearing an exit from Napoli - but doesn't appear bound for the Premier League. The Nigerian was linked with a switch to Manchester United this summer. GOAL report Osimhen has agreed personal terms with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal. Osimhen scored 26 goals in 30 Super Lig games on loan at Galarasaray last season. Credit: Getty Copy link Copied By To be Frank Thomas Frank is the frontrunner to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham. The Aussie was given his marching orders last night, just weeks after the club's 17-year trophy drought was ended. According to the Guardian, it will cost Spurs £10m to activate Frank's release clause. Credit: PA Copy link Copied By Granit interest Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is a summer target for AC Milan. The Swiss star has been a rock in midfield for Bayer Leverkusen since leaving the Emirates in the summer of 2023. Kicker report Milan are ready to bid for the 32-year-old, who had 11 goal contributions in 33 Bundesliga games last term. Credit: Getty Copy link Copied By Tottenham next manager odds Here's who's the likeliest to take over the hot seat at Tottenham after Ange Postecoglou's dismissal. Odds from talkSPORT BET : Thomas Frank 1/2 Marco Silva 8/1 Michael Carrick 8/1 Oliver Glasner 12/1 Carlos Corberan 12/1 Xavi 14/1 Scott Parker 20/1 Copy link Copied By Tell me Mor Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers has emerged as a summer transfer target for Arsenal. According to The playmaker only joined Villa in 2023 for £15million from Middlesbrough and extended his contract until 2030 last November. But missing out on the Champions League could see players moved away this summer as the Villans are at serious risk from PSR rules, according to research undertaken by The club have lost £206.2m in the past two seasons, the highest deficit in the Premier League in that time. Research from the outlet suggests project Villa can only lose £15m in 2024-25 and remain in line with Prem rules. As a result, they may be forced to listen to offers for a number of stars this summer. Copy link Copied By Viktor Gyokeres boost Manchester United are ready to win the race for Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres. United recently revealed total operating expenses have dropped by £41.6million to £162.1m in the latest quarterly club accounts after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's brutal cost cutting. That is despite the cash spent on the Glazers' debt spiralling to a staggering £1.2billion. Man Utd's gradual U-turn in club finances means they are ready to pip Arsenal to land Gyokeres. The striker has an £85m release clause but it is understood that the Portuguese giants would accept a fee closer to £60m this summer. United boss Ruben Amorim is now ready to raid his former club after the boost in their accounts. Copy link Copied By More Tottenham departures Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has lost his right-hand woman in executive director Donna Cullen, who has left after 20 years of service. Elsewhere, Ryan Mason has also left the club to further his managerial career by taking up the vacant position at Championship side West Brom. They are set to be the first two of many departures this summer after Ange Postecoglou's dismissal as manager. The shake-up also includes the appointment of Vinai Venkatesham as CEO, who previously served bitter rivals Arsenal in the same role. Sources add these moves could be the prelude to majority owners Enic pumping fresh funds into the club. Copy link Copied By Liverpool bid for Wirtz Liverpool have raised their bid for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz. According to Sky Sports, the Reds have offered a staggering £113million to Leverkusen for Wirtz. Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports a deal for the playmaker could be completed in the next few days. Negotiations between the two clubs are at the final stages with final details being sorted. Then the Germany international will travel for his medical at Anfield. Copy link Copied By Bryan Mbeumo price Brentford have named their price for Bryan Mbeumo ahead of the summer transfer window. Manchester United are rigorously trying to sign Mbeumo after landing Matheus Cunha from Wolves. But United will not be able to sign the winger on the cheap. According to The Independent, the Bees want more than £60million for the Cameroon international. Copy link Copied By Latest on Rodrygo Real Madrid star Rodrygo continues to pose as one of Arsenal's top targets. The Gunners are aiming to bolster their attack, with the disgruntled forward fitting the bill. According to Sky Sports, a deal could move forward following the international break. The Brazil international is facing immense competition at Real with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham ahead of him. Copy link Copied By Frank favourite for Tottenham Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham with Brentford boss Thomas Frank the frontrunner to take over. Spurs are expected to make a decision on Postecoglou's successor next week but there is yet to be any contact with the Bees. Frank poses as the favourite but there are other candidates, such as Fulham's Marco Silva and Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner. Firing Postecoglou and hiring the Danish tactician could prove a costly business, with the former's compensation in the millions and the latter's release clause believed to be around £10million. The Aussie head coach also walks away with £2m in bonus for landing the Europa League - the club's first trophy since the League Cup in 2008. Copy link Copied By Sesko keen on Arsenal RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko is keen on a move to Arsenal this summer. That is according to transfer insider Florian Plettenberg, who reports negotiations between the Gunners and Sesko are advancing positively. Plettenberg adds there has been " clear progress" regarding personal terms, but no full verbal agreement has been reached yet. The North Londoners have also not submitted an official offer to Leipzig. Nevertheless, the striker is keen on a move to the Emirates this summer. Copy link Copied By Inter-ested Inter Milan are amongst the clubs looking at signing Rasmus Hojlund from Manchester United this summer. Hojlund has struggled to find form since his arrival at Old Trafford and looks set for the exit doors in the coming month. Fabrizio Romano has reiterated that Champions League finalists Inter remain keen on the 22-year-old, despite the exit of boss Simone Inzaghi this week. Hojlund managed four goals in 32 Premier League appearances this season. Credit: Getty Copy link Copied By Tottenham statement Tottenham praised Ange Postecoglou's contribution but also revealed that a 'unanimous' decision was taken within the board to move on. Spurs insist they have to compete on all fronts after their worst ever Premier League season. And news regarding Postecoglou's successor will soon be shared in due course. Here's Tottenham's full statement after Ange Postecoglou's dismissal: Ange Postecoglou dismissal statement Tottenham released a lengthy statement explaining their decision to dismiss manager Ange Postecoglou: FOLLOWING a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties. Ange joined us from Celtic in the summer of 2023 and oversaw a period of change on the pitch, returning us to the attacking brand of football that has traditionally been associated with the Club, while writing a new chapter in our history by leading us to UEFA Europa League glory in Bilbao last month - an achievement that will live with us all forever. We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision. We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home. News on the appointment of a new Head Coach will be announced in due course. Copy link Copied 1 …

Arsenal to sign Chelsea outcast in cut-price £5million transfer
Arsenal to sign Chelsea outcast in cut-price £5million transfer

Daily Mirror

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • Daily Mirror

Arsenal to sign Chelsea outcast in cut-price £5million transfer

Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to sign for Arsenal in a £5m deal from Chelsea and will provide competition for fellow Spain international David Raya at the Emirates Arsenal are closing in on a cut price £5m deal to sign goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea with the Spain international set to provide competition for compatriot David Raya. Kepa became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when he moved to Stamford Bridge in a £72m deal seven seasons ago from Athletic Bilbao. But he spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, starting all but three Premier League games, after signing a new deal at his parent club that included a £5m release clause and also saw his salary lowered significantly. ‌ Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca does not consider him part of his plans going forward. He played 163 times for the club, keeping 59 clean sheets and winning four major honours. But he last featured for them in 2023 having also been sent on loan to Real Madrid, where he made 20 appearances. ‌ Bournemouth were keen on making his switch to the south coast permanent with head coach Andoni Iraola saying: 'I think it is a matter of negotiating with Kepa himself and with Chelsea. I think both sides are very happy with his loan spell.' However, Kepa, 30, is now set to become the latest player to swap Chelsea for the Gunners. Raheem Sterling spent a difficult spell on loan at the Emirates in the season just passed, alongside former Blues Kai Havertz and Jorginho. The Gunners had initially been keen on Espanyol's Joan Garcia, but he seems increasingly destined for Barcelona. Mikel Arteta's pursuit of a new centre forward continues, meanwhile, with Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres near the top of their wishlist. A deal to sign Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi is also progressing, with the Real Sociedad star having a £51m release clause. Chelsea, meanwhile, have already landed striker Liam Delap from relegated Ipswich Town in what is expected to be another hectic transfer window in West London. And the new addition is set to feature in the controversial FIFA Club World Cup that begins next weekend having not been selected by the England Under-21s for their defence of the European Championships.

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