Former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Bosnich has urged the club to keep hold of Kepa Arrizabalaga, claiming that the Spaniard could still reach the level of predecessors Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois.
Chelsea splashed a world-record sum to bring Kepa to Stamford Bridge in 2018, but he has struggled to live up to that price tag so far and was dropped for a spell in February having posted the worst save percentage in the Premier League this season.
The 25-year-old has subsequently been linked with a summer move away from the club, with Manuel Neuer, Andre Onana and Gianluigi Donnarumma among the names touted to replace him, but Bosnich believes that he can still be a success in West London.
"I was probably in the minority as a goalkeeper as I didn't mind competition for places. I thought being a goalkeeper was the same as any position that if you are not playing well, then it is understandable that someone else comes in. With Kepa, it is a little bit different because of the price tag that surrounds him but it wasn't Frank Lampard who bought him. It was somebody else," Bosnich told Goal.com.
"I was impressed with the way he came back but he has been struggling a little bit this season. It is completely understandable as a manager if someone is not doing it for you at a big club you think somewhere else. There are stories around about Donnarumma or Onana but with any goalkeeper you talk about purchasing, especially from abroad, there's nothing like playing the position in England.
"There's more physical challenges on the crosses that you get in England than anywhere else in the world. You have to be careful. I am not privy to what's gone on behind the scenes but if a manager-player relationship breaks down, then that's a different matter. I just think it was down to his form which in terms of the standard when he first came, it hasn't been up to scratch this season.
"Frank was well within his rights to leave him out when he did but I thought he did well when he came back. I rate Kepa, I thought he was a superb shot-stopper with good agility and his kicking was okay for me. I think people make too much of his problems with distribution but the first job is to keep the ball out of the net. Kicking is a bonus.
"In terms of dominating his box, he is young and slight so it has taken time to get to grips with that. That's something they need to work on. For me, he has not been a disaster in any sense of the word. He has done okay so far. It is difficult to follow Petr Cech in their most successful era at the club. Then you have Thibaut Courtois, who was exceptional as well. I believe that Kepa has the ability given time to get to that level."
Kepa has saved just 39 of the 73 shots on target he has faced this season - a ratio of 53.4%, which is comfortably the worst in the league.
Barney Corkhill
