Chelsea sign Arrizabalaga for record €80 million

Spaniard becomes history’s most expensive goalkeeper as Courtois leaves for Real Madrid

LONDON: Chelsea shattered the world-record 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 have until 1600GMT on Thursday to wrap up their business.

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 subject to the completion of the Courtois deal, Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic would join 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 euro.

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 Jurgen 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.