“He hasn’t been good enough” – Darren Bent insists Chelsea cannot ‘rely’ on 28-year-old star for a full season

Darren Bent has warned Chelsea that they cannot rely on Kepa Arrizabalaga as their first-choice goalkeeper for the entire season.

The Blues signed the Spaniard from Athletic Bilbao for €80 million in 2018 as they looked to replace Real Madrid-bound Thibaut Courtois. He remained as their first-choice custodian before Frank Lampard brought in Edouard Mendy from Stade Rennais in 2020.

The Senegal international has now left Stamford Bridge for Al-Ahli, boosting Arrizabalaga's chances of being the undisputed starter. However, Bent believes the 28-year-old hasn't shown enough to warrant the club's trust over the course of the entire season.

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker told TalkSPORT:

"He (Kepa) hasn’t been good enough. He had a period where it felt like every shot on target from everywhere was going in. He always seems to sort of settle himself down after that; once he then became the no.1 again. But I still don’t think you can rely on Kepa for a full season."

Arrizabalaga has been error-prone over the last few years and isn't the most comfortable when it comes to his ability on the ball. However, he has still racked up 163 appearances in five seasons at the club, keeping 59 clean sheets and winning four trophies, across competitions.

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Pundit reckons Robert Sanchez is a smart signing for Chelsea

Kepa Arrizabalaga could have to fight for his position in the starting XI from next season. As per the Evening Standard, Chelsea have agreed a £25 million fee to sign Robert Sanchez from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Spanish custodian has signed a seven-year deal with the west London giants and is expected to compete with Arrizabalaga for a starting spot. Shaka Hislop, a former West Ham United and Newcastle United goalkeeper, told ESPN (h/t The Chelsea Chronicle):

"I think Robert Sanchez, especially at the reported price of £25million, is an outstanding purchase. ... From a Chelsea perspective, I think this is outstanding business at that price for a goalkeeper of that quality."

Sanchez spent ten years with the Seagulls, keeping 29 clean sheets in 90 appearances across competitions. He's known for his wide range of passes and aggressiveness to claim the ball when it's lofted into his box.

It remains to be seen if new manager Mauricio Pochettino makes the 25-year-old his starting goalkeeper from the get-go.