On-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has claimed that he is "very happy" at Real Madrid and jumped at the chance to sign for Los Blancos despite interest from Bayern Munich.
The Spaniard spent most of the 2022-23 season as Chelsea's number one under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, having taken advantage of Edouard Mendy's lengthy injury absence to get himself back in favour.
Kepa remained the Blues' first-choice shot-stopper after Mendy's recovery, even captaining the side in a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, but he kept just nine clean sheets in the league as Chelsea laboured to a 12th-placed finish.
Both Kepa and Mendy were tipped to make way for fresh blood this summer, and the latter was seduced by the riches of Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ahli as Chelsea brought in Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic to bolster their goalkeeping department.
Meanwhile, Kepa was still on the books at Stamford Bridge for the opening weekend of the Premier League season, but he was soon shipped out to Real Madrid on a straight loan deal to replace Thibaut Courtois, who suffered a devastating ACL injury in training and is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 campaign.
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The 29-year-old quickly ousted backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin from the XI and has started each of Real Madrid's last nine matches across all tournaments, keeping a respectable five clean sheets in the process.
Kepa entered the international break on the back of three successive La Liga shut-outs against Las Palmas, Girona and Osasuna, leaving Real top of the table with a league-low six goals conceded this term.
Prior to returning to his homeland, the former Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper was targeted by German champions Bayern, whose long-serving number one Manuel Neuer is on the long road to recovery from a broken leg.
However, in an interview with Spanish outlet AS, Kepa revealed that his loan to Real Madrid was completed within "a few hours", and he did not think twice when learning of Los Blancos' interest.
"The loan with Madrid was very quick. Everything was closed in a few hours, with just two phone calls. I had spent five seasons at a big club, Chelsea, and I thought a change could be good for me," Kepa said.
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"It's true that there was the option of Bayern... but Real Madrid called and I didn't think about it. If there were other opportunities before it doesn't matter, what matters is that it became a reality last summer."
Kepa's move to the Bernabeu was a straight loan with no option or obligation to buy, but the Chelsea loanee confirmed that he would be keen to stay in the Spanish capital for the long term upon his arrival in the summer.
Kepa was loath to discuss his future with AS, but he confirmed that he was "very happy" to represent Real Madrid, adding: "After what happened last summer I don't want to start thinking in October about what could happen in July.
"But what I can say is that I am very happy. Of course, I will not lack work and enthusiasm and I will try to help make Madrid's history even greater and enjoy every minute, every game to the fullest."
The 29-year-old's contract at Stamford Bridge runs until the end of the 2024-25 season, and he is currently with the Spain squad preparing for October's Euro 2024 qualifiers with Scotland and Norway on Thursday and Sunday respectively.
Ben Knapton
