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Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has announced his engagement to girlfriend Andrea Martinez, as per the Daily Star. The Spain international made the announcement on social media on the deadline day of the summer transfer window.
Martinez won Miss Universe Spain in 2020 and competed in the Miss Universe competition that was subsequently held in Las Vegas. She was amongst the 74 contestants that took part in the competition but could not manage a top 21 finish.
Her Instagram bio mentions that she is a plasmologist, which relates to learning about the history and application of plasma, especially in skin therapy. Martinez is 30 years old and hails from the Spanish city of Leon.
Kepa (27) is three years younger than her and was born in Ondarroa. The former Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper made his relationship public in January earlier this year.
The two are now set to get married in the future. Kepa announced the news of his engagement on September 1, posting an Instagram photo with the caption:
"SHE SAID YES [Ring Emoji]."
Chelsea legend Petr Cech and Kepa's former teammates Inigo Martinez, Pedro Rodriguez and Ross Barkley were among those who congratulated the pair in the comments section.
Kepa had previously dated Andrez Perez. The two reportedly broke up prior to his move to Chelsea in the summer of 2018.
Chelsea made the right call to keep Kepa at the club
The Daily Star report adds that Kepa was linked with moves to Serie A clubs Lazio and Napoli this summer. However, he has seemingly stayed put at Stamford Bridge until at least the January transfer window.
This could explain why he made the announcement of his engagement on deadline day. Perhaps he wanted his immediate future at Chelsea to be certain before sharing the news with the world.
Manager Thomas Tuchel reportedly kept Kepa at the club as he did not see an appropriate replacement in sight in case he left. Edouard Mendy has been Chelsea's starting goalkeeper since he was brought to the club by then-manager Frank Lampard in the summer of 2020.
The Spaniard has been relegated to the bench with not many opportunities coming his way. He has featured in just 11 Premier League games for the club since the start of the 2020-21 season.
However, Mendy's form has received a fair bit of criticism this season after a string of notable errors. This could be a chance for Kepa to reclaim his position in the squad.
This level of competition will ensure that goalkeepers don't take their positions for granted and keep giving their best, a boon for any manager to have.
