Chelsea are set to complete two new deals on Wednesday to firm up their summer transfer dealings after an almost dry three weeks.
The Blues, usually a beast in the transfer window, have gone rather quiet this summer with just two new players arriving to beef up the squad that failed miserably under Antonio Conte last season in the Premier League. Chelsea finished fifth, behind Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United and winners Man City, who had a 30 point gap between them and Conte’s side.
Maurizio Sarri came in to replace Conte and only Jorginho, among his two signings will compete in the first team. The Guardian reports that Chelsea are set to pay a world record fee of £71.6 million for Athletic Bilbao’s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on Wednesday to free the player to sign on the dotted line at Stamford Bridge. He comes in to replace Thibaut Courtois who will leave the club for Real Madrid, after telling Sarri he no longer wishes to play for the Blues.
To sweeten the deal, Chelsea will get Mateo Kovacic on loan for a year, and reports like the tweet from Nizaar Kinsella below, have it that he will fly to London ahead of the transfer deadline to complete the deal:
It looks like Kepa and Matteo Kovacic (loan) could be the double signing Chelsea do before deadline day. Kepa's clause will make him the world's most expensive goalkeeper. Both deals to help Thibaut Courtois get his wish. Nothing finalised but they are trying. #CFC #RMCF
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) August 7, 2018
