Former Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has backed Kepa Arrizabalaga to be a ‘huge success’ at the club, although admitting he’s been hugely impressed by his replacement Edouard Mendy.
Kepa has quickly gone from the focus of fan frustration to a largely forgotten figure at the club following Mendy’s brilliant start to his career at Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman was signed for £22million in the summer as Frank Lampard searched for a more dependable man between the sticks after an error-filled season from a hapless Kepa.
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The 26-year-old Spaniard has largely proven a £72m flop since his arrival from Athletic Bilbao in 2018.
Consistent errors saw Kepa lose confidence in himself, lose the convince of his defensive teammates, and the confidence of his manager, and Lampard’s decision – with the help of Blues legend Petr Cech – to land Mendy as his new number one now seems a masterstroke.
Mendy has conceded just TWO goals in his eight appearances in a Chelsea shirt, compared to the 14 Kepa shipped in his last six games for the club.
Begovic admits the Blues’ new No.1 has been ‘a joy to watch’ since his arrival, but still believes there are big things in store for Kepa… even though Cech has been tipped to play ahead of him in the Chelsea squad.
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“I don’t think it’s gone to plan for everyone,” he told talkSPORT host Jim White.
“These situations are never straightforward. If you spend a big transfer fee it doesn’t mean everything is going to work out; there are a lot of factors into making a move work and making an impact at a club.
“Mendy has come in and done really, really well, I think he’s really solidified that position.
“He’s been impressive, he’s been a joy to watch to be honest and he’s someone I really enjoy watching.
“But can Kepa still prove everybody wrong? Possibly.
“I think Kepa is a really good goalkeeper, he played really well in Spain before his move to Chelsea and it’s obviously been a bit of a tricky time for him.
“He’s got really good quality and I’m sure he’ll be a huge success, whether it’s at Chelsea or somewhere else.
“When you have that equality it’s only going to be matter of time before things turn around for him again in a positive way.”
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