Chelsea's second-choice shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga has made his pick for the best goalkeeper of the year. The Spaniard is currently in Marbella, spending time away from the game on vacation before he joins Thomas Tuchel's squad for the pre-season.
MARCA set up an interview with the 27-year old where he praised former Chelsea man Thibaut Courtois as the best goalkeeper this year. The Belgian's performances at various stages in the Champions League this year kept Real Madrid in the game as he pulled off some of the best saves of his career.
When asked if Courtois was the best keeper, Kepa acknowledged the same and gave him credit for helping Los Blancos in their La Liga and European triumph. He told MARCA:
"This year yes. This year I think he has been very decisive to win the Champions League and LaLiga."
The former Chelsea shot-stopper made a whopping nine saves to keep a clean sheet in the UCL final against Liverpool as his team won the game 1-0. It was widely regarded as the best performance by a goalkeeper in Europe's premier class tournament. When asked about Courtois' Man of the Match performance, Kepa replied:
"I don't know exactly. To win the Champions League and LaLiga there are times when the goalkeeper has to appear. It is true that he has had to appear many times but I would not be able to tell you if it is the best or not."
Thomas Tuchel must use Thiago Silva Chelsea lesson to make Kalidou Koulibaly transfer decision
It will be tough to replace or replicate the success of Thiago Silva at Chelsea. A 36-year-old joining the Premier League at one of the league's most dominant teams and instantly adapting so late in a career feels like an anomaly, and that in itself reflects the brilliance of Silva.
And even after an impressive first season, it is fair to claim the sequel was even stronger, featuring 48 times across six different competitions in a stacked nine-month period for the Blues.
A contract extension signed in January will keep Silva in west London till 2023, and there are early suggestions he is aiming to go beyond that.
The Brazillian has not only solidified his status as one of world football's greatest ever defenders, but his success has given a timely reminder to not solely focus on the age of a player when judging whether they will be a shrewd piece of business.
This consideration should be made again in defence for Chelsea this summer when deciding how to replace Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. It appears that a younger face will be acquired in the form of Jules Kounde from Sevilla at 24, a deal that has felt like a matter of when and not if since last summer.
Though on the left side to specifically replace Rudiger, it might prove a bit trickier. There have already been targets named like RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol, Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt and Torino's Gleison Bremer. However, as has been pointed out by supporters fearing a repeat of 2021's youth exodus, the promotion of Levi Colwill should be of importance and taken into consideration when deciding whether to spend significant funds on a defender of a similar age.
A name that is not unfamiliar to Chelsea fans but would feel a little left-field this window is Kalidou Koulibaly. The 30-year-old has been consistently linked to the Blues for six years, with potential fees for the Napoli man rising to £90m. Now, with the Senegal international facing one-year left on his current deal and reports from Italy reflecting his desire for a switch, an opportunity could be there for Chelsea to pounce.
jacsion Arik got a reaction from Vesper in "He has been very decisive" - Chelsea's Kepa names the best goalkeeper in football this year