Chelsea are reportedly ready to let second-choice goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga leave for Napoli on loan with an obligation to buy.
The Spaniard became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when he arrived at Stamford Bridge from Athletic Bilbao for £72m in 2018 - a record he still holds.
However, Kepa has since been pushed down the pecking order by Edouard Mendy and has failed to justify his mammoth price tag in the Premier League.
Kepa made 15 appearances in all competitions last term, including a mere four starts in the Premier League, three of which came during Mendy's time at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 27-year-old also started all of Chelsea's EFL Cup games before the final against Liverpool, where he was brought off the bench for the penalty shootout but missed his spot kick.
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Kepa remains under contract with Chelsea until the summer of 2025, but the 6ft 1in shot-stopper continues to be linked with a move away after acting as Mendy's backup last term.
According to La Repubblica - via Napoli Magazine - Luciano Spalletti's side are now well-placed to welcome Kepa to the club on an initial loan deal.
Chelsea are said to be open to letting Kepa leave on for the 2022-23 campaign, so long as an obligation-to-buy clause is inserted into the contract.
The report adds that Napoli are poised to agree to that proposal given Kepa's extortionate wages, but Keylor Navas and Ivan Provedel are on the Partenopei's list of alternatives if a deal for the Chelsea man cannot be struck.
Kepa's time at Chelsea has seen the Spain international keep 47 clean sheets in 123 games for the Blues in all competitions, winning the Champions League, Europa League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup in the process.
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With the World Cup also coming up, Kepa - who has not been called up to the Spain squad since 2020 - will be pining for regular minutes to increase his chances of being called up by Luis Enrique.
Should Kepa depart for Napoli in the coming weeks, Chelsea will be left with Marcus Bettinelli as Mendy's deputy, as well as 19-year-old Teddy Sharman-Lowe.
Thomas Tuchel has already witnessed Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave the club permanently this summer, while Romelu Lukaku has returned to Inter Milan on loan.
In response, the Blues boss has brought in Omari Hutchinson, Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling, but Barcelona are now expected to win the race to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde.
Tuchel admitted that his side were in desperate need of new faces in a scathing assessment of his side's 4-0 loss to Arsenal in the Florida Cup on Saturday.
Ben Knapton
