Barcelona. Juventus. Porto… Bournemouth’s transfer business this summer has seen them do business with some of Europe’s biggest clubs. For supporters who vividly remember their time in the Second Division 15 seasons ago, it will feel a little surreal.
But what is really interesting is the emergence of the world's most expensive goalkeeper. Kepa Arrizabalaga's curious career has taken another turn.
When the London club paid £71.6m for him in the summer of 2018, he was expected to be “a huge part of all the success Chelsea achieve in the coming years”, according to Marina Granovskaia – breaking the record fee for a goalkeeper set by Liverpool a few weeks ago with Allison.
The seven-year contract given to Kepa was unusual at the time but underlined Chelsea's faith in him. At 23, the player looked set.
He was not without his own belief in his own level at the time, infamously refusing to be substituted by Maurizio Sarri during extra time of Chelsea's penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley the following February.
An apology and a fine followed, and Kepa was briefly ruled out of Chelsea's next league match, but Sarri quickly established his status as a first-team player, making two penalty saves in the Europa League semi-final as Chelsea won the competition in their first season in west London.
But Kepa's form has turned around. With Sarri gone and Frank Lampard in charge, Kepa's second season at Stamford Bridge has been statistically poor. According to the data, he has conceded 11 more goals than expected. It's a surprising figure.
He was noticeably vulnerable to shots from outside the box, with his save percentage standing at just 53.47 per cent – the lowest of any regular player in the Premier League that season.
“He makes too many mistakes,” said Sky Sports' Gary Neville early in the season after Kepa was replaced by Edouard Mendy on Petr Cech's recommendation after making two errors in two games.
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The next two seasons were spent largely off the pitch, with Kepa watching Mendy win the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel.
There was a heart-warming cameo in the Super Cup win over Villarreal, when Kepa came on as a second-half substitute for Mendy in the shootout and saved two penalties, but his performances as a penalty shootout specialist backfired in the Carabao Cup final that season, failing to save a single Liverpool penalty as the team lost 10-11.
Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be substituted in the 2019 Carabao Cup final.
Kepa made a comeback under Graham Potter, capitalising on Mendy's absence by scoring a brace against Aston Villa in the 2022/23 campaign, but Chelsea's hierarchy, backed by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boley, were unable to convince and signed Robert Sanchez as their next top choice, with Kepa loaned to Real Madrid.
After a positive start last season, Kepa has stumbled again. Real Madrid brought in Kepa to replace the injured Thibaut Courtois, who was initially brought in from Chelsea to replace him, but failed to live up to expectations and lost his starting spot to Andriy Lunin. He sat alongside Courtois when he returned for the Champions League final in June.
After another disappointing season, Kepa was expectedly left out of the Euro 2024-winning Spain squad, having made just 13 appearances for his country.
With no clear path to a return to Chelsea in the near future, Kepa has found himself in desperate need of a reboot this summer.
Bournemouth have signed him for a season-long loan to the south coast. Kepa has been offered a huge pay cut and a short-term extension to his contract with Chelsea, giving him the chance to return to the Premier League. The Vitality Stadium may have been an unexpected destination, but Bournemouth are a club with a manager Kepa is familiar with.
The goalkeeper came through the ranks at Athletic Bilbao while Andoni Iraola was in charge of the Basque side. Their career paths have not seen them play for the same team, but they have trained together and their connection has been a key factor in one of the most eye-catching deals of the transfer market.
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Here are the highlights from the match between Everton and Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Kepa was at his best on his dramatic debut for Everton, making sharp close-range saves against Iliman N'Diaye and Seamus Coleman. That must have been encouraging for Bournemouth fans, who will be wondering what they can expect from their new No.1. And they are not the only observers to be asking that question.
Kepa will be sidelined when Chelsea visit Vitality on Saturday night, but where his story goes from here will be an interesting storyline to follow this season.
Watch Bournemouth vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports Premier League on Saturday, kick-off at 8pm.
