Chelsea keeper Kepa ‘so good he could play in midfield’… here’s how Blues could line up with daring position change – The Sun
CHELSEA keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga “could play in centre midfield” claimed his former Blues team-mate Rob Green.
Veteran English stopper Green spent last season at Stamford Bridge as third-choice and despite not making one appearance in West London, he still lifted the Europa League trophy.
The now retired 39-year-old told BBC Sport his former Chelsea goalkeeper colleague Kepa is so good with the ball at his feet, he could play in the middle of the park.
He said: “The expectation of playing out from the back and how to do it.
“(Kepa) puts the ball down, right foot, left foot, and will ping a perfect pass into the path of the full back whose making a run down the wing.
“You go wow, he could play in centre midfield.
“You go back to when someone like (Fabien) Barthez, with United years ago, well he actually plays out in training, Kepa could do that and hold his own no problem.
“Willy Caballero is also excellent at playing out from the back with his feet.
“That's what the expectation is now, and that's what you get brought up on in academy structures and that's the way its gone forward.
“I remember not having the back-pass rule, that's a) how old I am and b) how much it's changed.”
With Kepa a wildcard midfield option for new Stamford Bridge boss Frank Lampard, SunSport predicts how the Blues could line up with the 24-year-old outfield.
The Chelsea man is not the only Spaniard so good with the ball he can play out of goal.
Former Liverpool stopper Pepe Reina once played in midfield in a 2006 friendly against Kaiserslautern in Liechtenstein, almost scoring twice.
Sir Alex Ferguson allowed French keeper Fabien Barthez to play on the left-wing during a 2001 pre-season match against Team Singapore.
More recently Manchester City No1 Ederson told FourFourTwo in an interview last year he is capable of playing in midfield.
Ederson said: “When I played in the Benfica youth teams, they would always call me to play in midfield if someone was missing and I didn’t ever embarrass myself.
“So, if necessary I’m definitely up to the task. It wouldn’t be easy, especially in the Premier League, but I think I could manage the challenge.”
Both Kepa and Ederson would be ideal signings for PSG coach Thiago Motta, who last year revealed plans to revolutionise football with 2-7-2 formation including a goalkeeper in midfield.
Motta wants to use a "short team" who can "control the game with high pressure and a lot of movement with and without the ball".
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