'I'll talk to Tuchel' Kepa frustrated over limited gametime at Chelsea

The Spanish keeper has lost his status as Chelsea’s number one keeper since Edouard Mendy’s quick rise to stardom.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has revealed he will hold talks with Thomas Tuchel over his future role in Chelsea’s lineup.

The Blues broke the record for the highest fee paid for a keeper when they signed Kepa from Athletic Bilbao in 2018. A £71.6m move saw the Spaniard join Chelsea as Thibaut Courtois’ replacement.

However, since the arrival of Edouard Mendy in 2020, Kepa has lost his status as Chelsea’s number one keeper. A brilliant debut campaign saw Mendy playing a vital role in the Blues’ Champions League-winning campaign.

Kepa, however, doesn’t want to continue his role as Mendy’s backup. The 27-year-old says he will soon speak with Tuchel about his future.

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“I’m excited, ambitious, eager to start, to enjoy myself and, above all, to play more. I want to be on the pitch more,” the 27-year-old said.

“The conversation with him [Tuchel] is easy; on a day-to-day basis, he is totally accessible to the players. Personally, I notice the affection and confidence he has in me.

“Obviously, I want to play more. It’s true that he’s giving another teammate [Mendy] a lift, and that’s what I’m trying to change in my day-to-day life; I want to play, and that’s what I’m training and preparing for.

“Right now, I’m a Chelsea player, but what I know is that I want to play more because, after a year or two where, when I have played, I have had a great return.

“I’m not desperate. At the end of the day, I’m at a very big club… I’ll talk to the coach, and we’ll decide, but with a clear message that I want to play more.”