It’s no surprise that the Chelsea squad holds incredible value given the fact that they’ve spent close to £1 billion on transfers since the arrival of Todd Boehly.
Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez are among the most valued players at the club, but one player who may be worth more than expected is Conor Gallagher.
The England international has been ever-present in Mauricio Pochettino’s side this season, starting 36 games and registering 12 goal contributions.
This is an extremely impressive return from the Chelsea captain, but let’s take a look at a returning Blue who’s worth a whopping £43m less than Gallagher.
Kepa Arizzabalaga’s 22/23 campaign
In 2018, a relatively unknown player outside of Spain swapped Athletic Bilbao for Chelsea, becoming a record breaker as the most expensive goalkeeper of all time.
Kepa Arrizabalaga arrived at Stamford Bridge for an eye-watering £72m, instantly becoming the number one. But after a rough second season where he recorded a save percentage of just 54%, he was displaced the following summer by Edouard Mendy.
Last season, it was the Spaniard’s turn to once again become the first-choice shot-stopper after a poor spell from the Senegal keeper, making 29 appearances in the Premier League.
Despite keeping nine clean sheets and his saves per game percentage increasing to 71% this time around, a new goalkeeper was a priority in the transfer market over the summer, with Kepa not in Chelsea’s plans.
Kepa’s value in 2024
After the arrival of Robert Sanchez from Brighton & Hove Albion, Kepa returned to Spain just over a week later, this time joining Real Madrid on a season-long loan.
A long-term injury to Thibaut Courtois was the catalyst behind the 29-year-old’s move, and Kepa began the campaign as Carlo Ancelotti’s number one.
However, the Chelsea loanee suffered an injury himself in November, and since then, he’s been unable to get back into the side due to the unbelievable rise of Andriy Lunin, who’s been first-choice ever since.
This means that the Spanish keeper has only played four times in 2024, with his total La Liga appearances being 13, but amazingly, his value has still remained relatively high.
Kepa
£26m
Malo Gusto
£26m
Robert Sanchez
£26m
Reece James
£26m
Wesley Fofana
£26m
As of today, Kepa is valued at £26m, which is surprisingly the same as Sanchez and two times more than what Djordje Petrovic is estimated to be worth, according to CIES Football Observatory.
However, he will still be far from the most valuable asset at Chelsea this summer, especially compared to Gallagher, who’s valued at £69m, £43m more than the goalkeeper.
After the current campaign, Kepa will return to Chelsea, as per Fabrizio Romano, which may be the perfect opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino to sell the ace between the sticks.
Given that he’s not performed at Chelsea, as supported by journalist Zach Lowy labelling him a “flop,” it would be silly to not try and move him on via a permanent transfer while his stocks are still relatively high.
Overall, it’s quite clear that Chelsea have had an absolute howler with the signing of Kepa, and if they can recoup even a quarter of the £72m he cost, they should class that as a win.
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