FIFPRO WORLD XI: 5 shocking exclusions from FIFPRO nominees list

#4 Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea): 

Kepa Arrizabalaga had a huge issue by carrying a hefty transfer sum on his shoulders. The Spaniard became the costliest goalkeeper after the Blues triggered the £82 million release clause in 2018 summer.

The former Atletic Bilbao shot-stopper showed nervousness in early parts of last season, but put some consistent displays with experience. Chelsea’s backline is the worst in the top six, but Kepa is performing relatively better to keep his side in-game at times.

He has lightning reflexes to deny opponents and has good distribution to initiate the attack from the backline. Pivotally, Kepa was the man between the sticks during their penalty shootout victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League Semifinals. He also played a huge part in Chelsea’s qualification to the Champions League this season.

David De Gea had a catastrophic season and faced criticism for his lamentable errors. Kepa should be ideally replacing his compatriot in the nominees list.

About the author

Sudarshan Venkatesan