Willy Caballero Says It's 'Crazy' to Speak About Kepa Fee, Praises Chelsea Start

Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero thinks it would be "crazy" to talk about the fee the Blues paid to land Kepa Arrizabalaga and has praised his team-mate's start to life in English football.

Following the sale of Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid, Chelsea spent £72 million on the then-Athletic Bilbao starlet—a world-record fee for a goalkeeper. Since his arrival, the 24-year-old has performed well, and all the indications point to him being a long-term building block for the Blues.

Caballero is the back-up option to Kepa at Stamford Bridge, and he thinks that with the way the transfer market is inflating, referring back to the money paid for the Chelsea No. 1 in the summer would be meaningless.

"I think that football has gone crazy in the last three or four years," he said, per Nizaar Kinsella of Goal. "When we talk about a player for the money that we spent, in this market, I think it is a little bit crazy. We shouldn't talk about money, we have to talk about his performances, and I think his performances have been really good."

Caballero added that he's been impressed with the distribution of Kepa, as well as praising his "quick reactions" and "good hands."

Podcaster Rebecca Watkins had high praise for what she's seen from the Spain international so far:

While there have been teething problems for Chelsea at times under manager Maurizio Sarri in his debut season at the club, in the main, Kepa has settled into life with the Blues with minimal fuss.

The Spaniard is calm on the ball and appears undaunted by the physicality of English football's top flight. Courtois' departure to Madrid was anticipated to be a big blow for the Blues, but Kepa has been able to fill the void left with ease.

Already he's helped make himself a fan favourite, too, as he was the hero in the recent semi-final penalty shootout win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup semi-final, as he saved Lucas Moura's effort.

After the shootout, former Sunderland goalkeeper David Preece commented on how Kepa was able to assert himself in these high-pressure situations:

The fee Chelsea paid represented a gamble, with Kepa being new to the Premier League, replacing a world-class goalkeeper in Courtois and featuring at the base of a side undergoing a transition under Sarri.

However, the move appears to represent value. Kepa has all the attributes to be Chelsea's goalkeeper for many seasons to come, and while they shelled out a massive amount for him initially, it's a part of the pitch they will not need to worry about for a long time.