Chelsea are reportedly ready to offer under-fire goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan after replacing him with Edouard Mendy.
Frank Lampard made signing a new keeper one of his priorities this summer and finally completed a £22million deal for Mendy on Thursday.
Kepa has endured a torrid time over the past 18 months, making a number of high-profile mistakes, and once again was in the spotlight after a costly error led to Sadio Mane scoring in their defeat against Liverpool last weekend.
Lampard is said to have lost patience with the Spaniard and according to The Sun has given his approval for the club to send Kepa out on loan despite Chelsea insisting they are yet to make a decision on his future.
The 25-year-old has struggled to live up to the world-record £72m fee Chelsea paid to sign him from Athletic Bilbao back in 2018.
Despite starting the season as Chelsea's No 1, Kepa has already come under intense criticism having been at fault for Brighton's goal in their opening-day 3-1 victory at the Amex and making another blunder against Liverpool.
Pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have both said that Chelsea have 'no chance of winning the Premier League with Kepa in goal' but Lampard has finally resolved the situation by signing Mendy from Rennes.
Former Chelsea keeper Petr Cech played a key role in identifying the 28-year-old as a target to take the No 1 spot from Kepa.
Speaking after signing a five-year contract with Chelsea, Mendy said: 'I am so excited to be joining Chelsea.
'It's a dream for me to be a part of this exciting squad. I can't wait to get started.'
Mendy's arrival effectively spells the end of Kepa's time at Chelsea with the club now prepared to listen to offers for him.
Chelsea's hierarchy are hopeful that Kepa can rediscover his best form to give them a better chance of recouping much of the £72m they signed him for next summer.
It is not yet clear what clubs Kepa could sign for though a return to LaLiga is likely to be an option. Valencia and Sevilla were two clubs linked with him earlier this summer but were put off by Chelsea's valuation.
Now that they are keen to loan him out, Kepa has suddenly become a realistic target for any potentially interested parties.
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