Real Madrid have reportedly made a decision on Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan move from Chelsea. Due to Thibaut Courtois’ long-term injury, Los Blancos signed Kepa on a one-year loan deal last summer, with the option of making it permanent later.
Kepa started the season as the main goalkeeper for Madrid. However, an injury to his adductor muscle changed everything as it allowed back-up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to take up the position and cement his spot.
According to Jorge C Picon (via Madrid Universal), Real Madrid feel Kepa is not at his best right now and will thus not make his move permanent. They instead plan to focus more on Lunin in the future, with Courtois as the No. 1.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper has made 10 La Liga appearances this season, keeping a clean sheet in five games and conceding just five goals. He has also kept a clean sheet in the Champions League, having made two continental appearances in the tournament.
Real Madrid are planning to give Lunin more game time as the season enters its final stages. Meanwhile, Kepa’s future is uncertain beyond June as Los Blancos do not want to buy him and Chelsea already have two goalkeepers in Dorde Petrovic and Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea legend Eden Hazard reflects on his challenging time at Real Madrid
Former Chelsea winger Eden Hazard shared his side of the story on why he struggled at Real Madrid. Hazard moved to Madrid in 2019 for a massive £130 million fee, but managed to score only seven times in 76 games, dealing with multiple injuries and a major drop in performance.
The Belgium player retired from football last October after a tough period in Madrid. Speaking to L’Equipe, Hazard revealed how things had gone awry (via GOAL):
“Madrid is special. Beyond that, I don’t think I fit in. It’s not like me. It’s a bit of a big-headed club, and I’m not like that. I didn’t even like the way we played if you compare it with other clubs.”
However, joining Los Blancos was a big deal for the Belgian:
“But it was my dream. I couldn’t finish my career without going there. This shows that Madrid is bigger than anything else. It is difficult to play there. Maybe I needed to train more. I also had the worst injuries at the worst times. The operation… I came back, it hurt, I forced myself.”
Hazard won two Premier League titles with Chelsea between 2012 and 2019, and scored a remarkable 85 goals and provided 61 assists in 245 league games. He also helped the side to a Europa League trophy before moving to Madrid. He has since retired and is now adapting to life after football.
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