Kepa Arrizabalaga EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea goalkeeper unfazed by criticism and world-record price tag – ‘I just wor

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As the most expensive goalkeeper of all time, and the man who cost Chelsea more money than anyone in their history, criticism is inescapable. For £71m, fans expect, well, the best. But Kepa Arrizabalaga doesn’t see it that way. At 25, he’s still learning, still eager to improve and that price tag? It’s not something he feels burdened by. “I’m fortunate enough to look beyond any price that was paid and try to improve my value by working hard, training hard and becoming a better goalkeeper, as well as a better person,” the Spaniard tells talkSPORT.com. Getty Images – Getty Chelsea signed Kepa from Athletic Bilbao for a world-record fee in 2018 “The price is not something that worries me or weighs heavy on my mind.” His form, however, is something that has caused enough concern for manager Frank Lampard to drop him for six straight matches earlier this season, a spell which spanned across more than a month. That’s not something which Kepa gives much thought to, either. He adds: “When you play on average 50 or 60 games, the manager is always going to have decisions to make every week.  “Not just on goalkeepers, but on outfield players, and he’ll pick what he considers to be the best XI to represent the team that week. “That’s what he’s there for, that’s his job.” Getty – Contributor Kepa has no problem with fighting for his place under Lampard Listen to live commentary of Chelsea vs Watford on talkSPORT at 8pm on Saturday Kepa has since reclaimed his place from Willy Caballero, although questions still linger. While the break provided him with a bit of time away from the spotlight, he sent fans bashing at their keyboards once again by coming for a West Ham corner without success on Wednesday night. Yet, Kepa remains unfazed by it all. He is a confident man and his belief in his own ability, as shown by the defiance of Maurizio Sarri during the 2019 Carabao Cup final, has not wavered. “Personally, on and off the field, I’m an ambitious person, both in football and away from the game,” Kepa adds. “The key is working hard to become a better goalkeeper, and that’s what I focus on, rather than anything else that might influence me.” Getty Images – Getty Kepa doesn’t listen to his critics – he just works harder in training Kepa knows better than most that life as a goalkeeper is unrewarding, and that your mistakes often speak louder than your highlights. His good friend and compatriot, David de Gea, was slated upon arrival at Manchester United, then lauded as the best in the world, and now slated all over again – not least by Roy Keane the other night. So rather than bandwagoning, it’s worth pointing out there have been moments for Kepa at Chelsea which signal a £71m goalkeeper. Without Kepa, Chelsea would not be the current Europa League champions. It was his heroics in the semi-final against Frankfurt which saw the Blues through on penalties. Without Kepa, there would’ve been no row to have with Sarri at Wembley, because Chelsea wouldn’t have even been there if he didn’t save Lucas Moura’s penalty in the last four. Getty Images Kepa hit the headlines last year when he refused to be substituted during the Carabao Cup final Outstanding saves from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Troy Deeney last season were among the kind that only a handful of goalkeepers can make, while his passing ability matches a Premier League midfielder. Earlier this season, former Chelsea goalkeeper Rob Green said: “Kepa puts the ball down, right foot, left foot, and will ping a perfect pass into the path of the full-back who’s making a run down the wing. “You go, ‘Wow – he could play in central midfield’.” But, like Chelsea, it’s consistency which Kepa struggles and strives for. “Looking back, it’s been a very different kind of season due to the coronavirus pandemic,” he continues. “I think, from the team’s point of view, we’ve had some good moments as a group, and some when things haven’t gone as well as we’ve hoped. Getty Images – Getty Kepa was forced to watch on from the bench for more than a month “If we managed to be more consistent as a group and carry on in that same vein of form that we’ve shown in a decent amount of games, we might be a little bit higher up that table. “From a personal point of view, it’s the same as ever: working hard in training to bring what I can to the team and giving my best to help the lads out.” The defeat to West Ham on Wednesday night summed up the club’s season. Chelsea ended a run of five straight wins, which included three clean sheets for Kepa, by losing and conceding three to a team without a win, or indeed a goal, since the restart. In the process, Chelsea missed the opportunity to leapfrog Leicester in third, and now just two points separate them from Man United in fifth. Getty Images Lest we forget Kepa’s role in Chelsea’s successful Europa League campaign Kepa was powerless to prevent the second and third goals, having been left vulnerable by those in front, although the goalkeeper did not cover himself in glory for the first. “It was a disappointment and the West Ham game was a lost opportunity for us,” Kepa admits. “We knew if we got the right result at West Ham, it was a real chance for us to go third in the table. “Looking back at the game, we had control of the ball. But just in certain key moments of the game, we didn’t manage those situations correctly. We didn’t do the right thing in those moments.” While Kepa’s future is the source of constant speculation, he looks ahead to an exciting future with Chelsea, which will include new signings Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. As a man with ambition, he doesn’t give the impression that he plans to spend next season anywhere but Stamford Bridge. Werner and Ziyech will bolster Chelsea’s options going forward next season “The group of players we have in that dressing room and that squad is of a very high standard,” he adds. “On paper, we’ve got a stunning group of players. The arrival of the two new lads, Werner and Ziyech, they’ve shown they’ve got great stats and they can put in some great performances. “Next season does look very promising. Let’s hope they can help us to improve on what we’ve done this season. “Hopefully they [Werner and Ziyech] will improve our squad and improve our team. Together, as a group, we can work hard and achieve the targets we’ll be setting ourselves next season, which will be high targets.” And if Kepa finds a way to consistently produce the form which saw him command the biggest fee for a goalkeeper in football history, those targets will be well within his reach.,
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