Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has insisted that he is willing to be patient in his efforts to oust Manchester United’s David De Gea as Spain’s number one.
The 24-year-old made the move to the Blues last summer in a £71.6 million deal which broke the world transfer record for a goalkeeper.
He has had a mixed first-season which included a high profile falling out with manager Maurizio Sarri, an incident that could have overshadowed his debut season.
The Spaniard has put in some impressive performances along the way as he now turns his attention to his national team over the next week.
Arrizabalaga was speaking during a recent Spain press conference, as cited by TEAMtalk, on the goalkeeping situation with Spain:
We are three goalkeepers in the national team, have all been called up by Luis Enrique and all three of us want to play. Obviously, the coach decides. In football you have to know how to coexist with praise and criticism, although sometimes they are disproportionate.
I do not read or listen too much, though, all of us here are prepared, I am confident and if I had the opportunity, I would be ready.
Spain travel to face the Faroe Islands on Friday, before playing host to Sweden on June 10 in their Euro 2020 qualifying group.
David De Gea is currently Spain’s number one keeper, but after a disappointing season for his standards at Man United, the gap has been closed between him and Arrizabalaga.
Kepa will want to kick on next season to prove his worth to his national team before the European Championships get underway next summer.
