Hopefully, we have an exciting season ahead of us, considering some of the narratives to mull on over the course of the summer.
Perhaps the most intriguing factor in the 2019-20 Premier League campaign will come in the shape of Chelsea, a club who could go through pretty much anything next season.
It’s a massive season indeed for the Blues, who are expected to announce former player Frank Lampard (per the Standard earlier this week) as Maurizio Sarri’s replacement. So, with so much change in terms of the coaching staff, what does the future hold for Chelsea’s record signing next season?
With there currently being no scope for new signings, it’s clearly going to be a big test for the current stars already on the club’s books and, possibly none more so than Kepa Arrizabalaga, who proved a highly controversial figure last season.
The Spanish ‘keeper was signed last summer in a whopping £71m transfer. A hugely expensive fee for a man just 23-years-old at the time and it’s fair to say his first season on these shores has been really rather eventful.
None more so than the bizarre incident at Wembley in March, in which Kepa seemingly refused to be substituted, a move that angered Sarri, to say the least. Frankly, it was shocking and was met (rightly, in our minds) with widespread criticism with John Terry, for example, stating he lacked respect for his coach. Yikes.
While the incident certainly places a blemish on his inaugural campaign in England, Kepa actually faired fairly well for the most part. He was instrumental in Chelsea’s Europa League campaign, saving two penalties in their semi-final shoot-out, proving his worth as the club went on to secure another continental crown.
The Spaniard also proved to be effective with his feet, completing over 1000 Premier League passes. Indeed, he averaged 28.5 a game in all competitions with a pass completion rate of 85.4% (as per WhoScored). Impressive figures indeed for the man that also proved capable with his gloves and he showed time and time again his shot-stopping ability in what was a promising first year.
Total Football Analysis deduce that Lampard demonstrated a desire to have his team build from the back, so having someone who can use his feet between the sticks should be a fairly natural fit should he and Jody Morris takeover at Stamford Bridge.
There are clearly certain parallels to be drawn with David de Gea, who failed to set the world alight during his first season at Manchester United. In fact, the Spaniard provided Kepa with some early season advice, warning him that the transition to English football is difficult.
Potentially under a club legend, perhaps the two can grow together.
Chelsea fans, what did you make of Kepa last season? Will he prove to be a hit? Comment below.
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