Bruised by two nasty injuries, Thibaut Courtois had been forced to give up his place in the Real Madrid goal. Absent for most of the season, the Red Devil returned to competition at the beginning of May and in great style since he contributed to the Merengue’s 15th Champions League victory against Borussia Dortmund. Thus, there should be no debate regarding the number 1 spot next season, this being naturally promised to the Belgian. Nevertheless, the debate seems to be totally relaunched regarding his understudy and to shake up the start of the transfer window for the Madrilenians.
Having competed with Kepa Arrizabalaga before taking advantage of the Red Devil’s physical problems, Andriy Lunin has established himself as the new starter in goal for Real Madrid. A regular in La Liga (21 starts for 10 clean sheets in the league), the 25-year-old goalkeeper has also confirmed his new status by producing high-flying performances in the Champions League, particularly against Manchester City. But with Thibaut Courtois’ return to form, the Ukrainian has regained his place on the bench. And now, the hypothesis of a departure has gained momentum.
Kepa more than Lunin?
While Real Madrid wanted to reward the Krasnodar native for his great season by offering him a contract extension until 2029, the main player concerned has still not followed up with his managers. The reason? The Ukrainian does not seem inclined to accept a number 2 spot in the hierarchy and remains open to offers from outside, in the event of finding a starting position in another club. While Andriy Lunin’s future is still up in the air in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid are reportedly considering another option for the coming season.
According to Brandthe Madrid staff would consider keeping Kepa Arrizabalaga, loaned without an option to buy in an emergency by Chelsea at the start of last season. Despite the departure of Mauricio Pochettino on the London bench, replaced by the former Leicester coach Enzo Maresca, his future does not seem to be written at Stamford Bridge to the extent that Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic should occupy the leading roles. But what does it matter for the Basque, who seems to be willing to accept a role of number 2 behind Thibaut Courtois in the club of his dreams as relayed SPORTthis Saturday. However, Real Madrid will have to dig deep if they want to count on Kepa, who is under contract with the Blues until June 2025.
