Saudi Pro League Targets Top Chelsea Player

The Saudi Pro League and PIF have made a move with a lucrative £125,000-per-week contract offer for a “top” Chelsea player to join one of their clubs this summer. If everything goes according to plan, this player could be leaving Stamford Bridge soon.

Players Likely to Be Sold by Chelsea Before Deadline Day

In recent weeks, Chelsea has already sold several players including Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson, Michael Golding, and Ian Maatsen. These sales have brought in around £89 million for Todd Boehly and BlueCo, who are looking to trim Enzo Maresca’s squad. Having spent nearly £120 million in this transfer window, which includes the signings of Caleb Wiley from Atlanta United and Aaron Anselmino from Boca Juniors, Chelsea has managed to recoup a significant portion of that through player sales.

Financial Strategy and Squad Management

However, to stay on the safe side of PSR regulations, Chelsea may need to finalize more exits before the deadline on August 30. The club is still in the market for a new star winger and possibly a striker, making it necessary to offload some players to free up space and raise funds. Several players have been linked with potential moves away from Chelsea, including Romelu Lukaku, Armando Broja, Malang Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Conor Gallagher, and even Raheem Sterling.

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s Potential Departure

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Another player who is widely expected to leave is goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Reports from Spain suggest Kepa is keen on a move to Real Madrid after spending the 2023/2024 season on loan at the Bernabeu. However, this move depends on whether Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, can extend Andriy Lunin’s contract.

Kepa has also attracted interest from Saudi Arabia. The Athletic recently revealed that Al-Ittihad had an initial bid for Kepa turned down.

Al-Ittihad’s Offer to Kepa

The Saudis, led by PIF, are still in talks over a deal for Chelsea’s keeper. Journalist Rudy Galetti shared on X (formerly Twitter) that PIF has offered Kepa a £125,000-per-week contract to join Al-Ittihad. It will be interesting to see how Kepa responds to this offer, as he is currently earning £150,000-per-week at Chelsea, meaning he would need to take a pay cut. Described as a “top, top” player by Thomas Tuchel, Kepa’s career hasn’t quite lived up to expectations following his record-breaking £72 million move from Athletic Bilbao in 2018.