Chelsea: Bye-bye Kepa Arrizabalaga – It was only a matter of time

Time was always ticking for the Chelsea first-choice stopper and it was only a matter of time before he hit the exit doors at Stamford Bridge.

Kepa Arrizabalaga‘s exclusion from the starting XI in their final day victory over Wolves means a lot more than just missing out on 90 minutes of football. In actual fact, it means his time at Stamford Bridge has come and gone.

The most expensive goalkeeper in football history has become the most unreliable of the Premier League’s top six. Only at the club two seasons but already almost certain to walk out the doors at Cobham Training Ground.

Brought in for a record fee of £71.6m from Athletic Bilbao, Arrizabalaga was destined for great things when he signed for the Blues under the then-manager, Maurizio Sarri. Or so we thought.

His first season where he became the first-choice stopper and second-choice manager (after his spat with Sarri in the EFL Cup final) things weren’t too bad. Chelsea managed their best start to a Premier League campaign going 12 outings without a loss.

A Europa League triumph over Unai Emery’s Arsenal. A top-three finish. It could only get better. Sadly, it has gotten worse. So bad it has led to Lampard leaving him out in a crucial match and a potential transfer out of the club.