Kepa Reveals if He Would Return to Real Madrid Amid Ongoing Goalkeeper Debate

One of the players who left the first team during the summer of 2024 is Kepa Arrizabalaga. The former "25" of Madrid joined the white team due to Thibaut Courtois's serious injury in August 2023, which prevented him from being available for almost the entire season.

To replace him, the executives led by Florentino Pérez trusted in Andriy Lunin and the loan of Kepa Arrizabalaga himself. The Basque goalkeeper wasn't getting playing time at Chelsea, and his temporary move to Real Madrid was seen as the best solution for both parties.

But the calm in Madrid's goal has lasted just under a year. Thibaut Courtois's contract ends in the summer of 2026, although the white sports management is already trying to ensure the continuity of this key player until the Belgian "1" is 36 years old. Likewise, Andriy Lunin has signed an extensive renewal that ties him to Real Madrid until mid-2030.

Despite everything, some insist on leaving the door open to debate in the goal. Kepa Arrizabalaga, after a season at Real Madrid, reflects on what happened during his time in the white locker room. Now at AFC Bournemouth, again on loan from Chelsea, Kepa states that "it was just one year but I enjoyed it a lot".

Remote Possibility

The "13" of the cherry squad notes that "obviously I had ups and downs" due to the tough competition with Andriy Lunin to retain the starting position. "I was a starter, I got injured, and I started playing less, but I felt important in the team", recalls the then "25" of Madrid clearly.

While it is true that he lost that goalkeeping debate, everyone at Real Madrid tried to make Kepa Arrizabalaga feel included in the dynamics of the white locker room. The reciprocity in the good feelings of that brief stint, as well as the background of his non-signing in the summer of 2018, cemented the good relationship between Kepa and the club.

Because the executives led by Florentino Pérez tried to secure his services in the same market that he headed to Chelsea. Ultimately, the very high economic demands of Athletic Club de Bilbao halted any operation... and allowed Thibaut Courtois to land in the Madrid locker room coming precisely from Stamford Bridge.

The good relationship between Kepa Arrizabalaga and Real Madrid allows for some speculation about a possible reunion that, at least it seems, would be welcomed by the now AFC Bournemouth footballer. But his records with the cherry sports discipline aren't leaving much to be desired, as he is the starting goalkeeper for Andoni Iraola, who has trusted him from the beginning.