Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga Insists He Doesn't Feel the Pressure of World Record Fee
New Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has insisted that he does not feel any extra pressure from the world record transfer fee that took him to Stamford Bridge from Athletic Bilbao in the final days of the Premier League transfer window this week.
Chelsea have invested heavily in Kepa, triggering a £71m buyout clause and then handing the player a bumper long-term contract worth another £71m over seven years.
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The 23-year-old Spaniard is set to make his debut almost straight away, replacing Thibaut Courtois ahead of Saturday's Premier League opener against Huddersfield, and has declared that the only pressure will be what he puts on himself.
"I don't think there will be additional pressure for me," Kepa is quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
"The only pressure I experience is the pressure I put on myself. I am a player who demands a lot from myself and this has always been the same," he added.
"I will try to do the best I can and to give everything I can to the team.
"It is great that big fees are being paid for strikers and other players, but why not for goalkeeper? It is a good way to acknowledge the importance of a good goalkeeper."
Chelsea also welcomed Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic on loan in the final hours of the transfer window, while Italy international Jorginho joined the club from Napoli in July.
But with transfer windows across Europe still open, a handful of Chelsea players could yet leave the club in the coming weeks as the Stamford Bridge hierarchy look to thin the squad. Tiemoue Bakayoko (AC Milan) and Michy Batshuayi (Valencia) are two such players who could go.
