New custodian
Courtois signs 6-year contract with Madrid
Chelsea pay record fee for Kepa, Courtois signs six-year deal with Real
LONDON: Chelsea shattered the worldrecord fee for a goalkeeper with an €80-million swoop for Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa Arrizabalaga on Wednesday as the Premier League transfer window prepared to slam shut.
While the rest of Europe’s leading leagues don’t close the window until later in August, England’s top-flight clubs had to wrap up their business last night (11pm Thai time).
That set the stage for a dramatic day of wheeling and dealing across the country, with Chelsea getting the ball rolling on Wednesday night.
In a 90-minute spell, Chelsea agreed to sell Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid in a deal worth around €35 million.
Chelsea added in a statement that Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic has joined the Blues from Real on a season-long loan.
Then it was announced that 23-year-old Kepa had penned a seven-year contract with Chelsea making him the most expensive goalkeeper in history at €80 million (£71.6 million).
Courtois officially signed a six-year deal with the European champions yesterday.
Real posted a clip of the 26-year-old Belgium No.1 signing his contract alongside club president Florentino Perez.
“Today I am realising a dream,” said Courtois.
Courtois, who had less than a year left on his Chelsea contract, wanted to move to Spain for personal reasons.
The Belgium star, who spent three seasons at Atletico Madrid from 2011 to 2014, wanted to move closer to his two children in the Spanish capital and had stayed away from training with Chelsea this week in a bid to force through the transfer.
Kepa, who came close to joining Real Madrid in January, becomes the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, his fee surpassing the £67 million Liverpool splashed out for Roma’s Alisson last month.
Liverpool are the window’s biggest spenders so far, with boss Juergen Klopp bringing in £160 million of new recruits, but the total spend by Premier League clubs is unlikely to smash the £1.4 billion record set in 2017.
CITY HOOK AUSSIE TEEN ARZANI
Australian teenager Daniel Arzani has been hailed as one of the country’s “brightest young stars” by a Manchester City director after he signed for the Premier League champions yesterday.
The Iran-born 19-year-old joined from the champions’ sister club Melbourne City and is expected to be sent out on loan.
He was the youngest ever member of an Australia squad for a World Cup finals and played in all three of their group matches in Russia.
Arzani — who was also the youngest player at the World Cup finals — joined Melbourne City in 2016.
BENKOVIC JOINS LEICESTER
Leicester City have signed Croatia Under21 defender Filip Benkovic from Dinamo Zagreb for an undisclosed fee.
The 21-year-old centre-back has agreed a five-year deal at the King Power Stadium to become the club’s sixth signing this summer.
Benkovic made 30 appearances for the Croatian side last term as they clinched their domestic league title.
“I will give all my heart to this club, to the fans, to everybody,” Benkovic said. “The ambitions of Leicester City are so big. I think it’s a very good step for me to go to the next level. I’m very happy to be here.”
The Foxes have already signed rightback Ricardo Pereira, centre-back Jonny Evans, midfielder James Maddison, goalkeeper Danny Ward and winger Rachid Ghezzal.
PEREZ’S HAMMERS SWITCH
West Ham have signed Spanish striker Lucas Perez from Arsenal for a reported fee of £4 million.
The 29-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the Hammers, having spent the last two seasons with the Gunners.
He is Manuel Pellegrini’s ninth summer signing and their second from Arsenal after the capture of Jack Wilshere.