27-year-old Chelsea outcast wants to reunite with Maurizio Sarri at Lazio: Reports

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has reportedly contacted former boss Maurizio Sarri in an attempt to secure a move to Lazio.

The Spanish international is still the most expensive goalkeeper in history following his move from Athletic Bilbao to Stamford Bridge in 2018 (£71.6 million).

However, the move has not gone to plan. Following a series of disastrous performances and calamitous mistakes, Kepa now finds himself a second-choice goalkeeper behind Edouard Mendy. The 27-year-old made 15 appearances across the most recent campaign, with just four of those coming in the Premier League.

According to Il Messaggero (as per Fichajes), Kepa is desperate to leave Chelsea this summer as he believes he can still offer his best to another team if given the opportunity. He has contacted Lazio boss Sarri, with the pair having a close relationship.

Sarri brought the Basque shot-stopper to English football during his only season at the Chelsea. The experienced then Italian boss left for Juventus after winning the Europa League.

The report also claims that Kepa's value has dropped dramatically to €10 million, despite being under contract at Stamford Bridge for another three seasons.

The pair infamously fell out during the 2019 League Cup final. Sarri attempted to take Kepa off before a penalty shootout, only for the keeper to allegedly refuse the substitution.

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Thomas Tuchel admits Kepa is 'not happy' at Chelsea

Prior to the end of a turbulent campaign for the two-time European champions, Tuchel confessed that the Basque keeper 'deserves to play more'.

Speaking at a press conference, the German boss stated (as quoted by The Metro):

"It depends what he wants and it depends what his plans are but I know that we are very privileged to have Edou [Mendy] and Kepa in our squad. I know for sure that Kepa is not happy about the situation and he deserves to play more and he can be a strong number one. He arrived as a number one goalkeeper so the situation is not easy."

"I can tell you that he is a fantastic team player since day one and always was and never let anybody down. So, no, we did not have a conversation about it. I know the goalkeepers’ coaches have these conversations at the moment and then we will take our time to speak with him. We must reflect on what’s best, what the possibilities are and I’m, of course as a coach, super happy to have both strong goalkeepers. Let’s see."