An injury to Thibaut Courtois has forced Real Madrid to dip into the transfer market in search of a goalkeeper.
Real Madrid have decided to pursue a loan move for Kepa Arizzabalaga despite David de Gea being a free agent.
De Gea was close to joining Madrid in 2015, but a move never materialised, and had the perfect chance to land the move eight years later after he confirmed his exit from Manchester United.
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Thibaut Courtois’ shock injury on the eve of the LALIGA season has left the club scrambling for a replacement with Andriy Lunin the only fit senior goalkeeper at the club.
The 24-year-old Ukraine international started the opening game at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday night, a game Madrid won 2-0 with the custodian keeping a clean sheet.
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Although Lunin has always been held in higher esteem among those who work in Madrid’s offices, the coaching staff, have had their doubts about him according to The Athletic.
This, in addition to the inexperience of Canizares, 21, and Pinero, 19, as well as 18-year-old Fran Gonzalez, who traveled with the squad in pre-season, means Madrid are not ruling out bringing in a new face to compete with Lunin for a starting spot.
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Lunin has already been told by the club they have confidence in him but that they will bring in a goalkeeper because a year without Courtois is too much of a risk.
This is the reason they have decided to move ahead to pursue a deal for the Spain international, who has endured an inconsistent spell in five years at Stamford Bridge.
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A number of alternatives had been speculated including De Gea and Sevilla’s Moroccan international Yassine Bounou, but Madrid have decided to pursue the Kepa option.
Courtois has been a constant presence for Real since joining from Chelsea in 2018. He has played 230 times for the Spanish club, winning two LALIGA titles and one Champions League.
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Chelsea signed goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this summer with new boss Mauricio Pochettino saying on Friday he was expecting “a very good competition” between him and Kepa for the number one spot.
Kepa regained his place as Chelsea’s first choice following an injury to Edouard Mendy last season. He played 39 times for Chelsea and was largely solid in what was a disappointing campaign overall for the West London side.
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He joined Chelsea in 2018 for a world-record £ 71 million fee for a goalkeeper. He initially lost the number one spot at the club during Frank Lampard’s second season in charge, when Mendy was brought in from Rennes. Mendy joined Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli in June.
In the winter of 2018, Chelsea’s Kepa was still at Athletic Bilbao and looked close to joining Madrid before then-manager Zinedine Zidane put the brakes on the transfer and, eventually, Thibaut Courtois was signed instead the following summer.
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This implies that Madrid still hold him in high esteem, which is the reason they have ignored De Gea despite being a free agent.
Given De Gea's free agent status, a move to Madrid eight years after his ill-famous failed switch to the Spanish giants would make sense, but two other factors suggest the opposite.
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First, there is the context behind his failed move to Real back in 2015. De Gea was on the brink of a transfer from United but it fell through with the late delivery of documents beyond the deadline.
However, what happened was interpreted elsewhere as a sign that Madrid ultimately did not have confidence in the Spanish goalkeeper. De Gea does not have a good memory of the experience.
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Another factor is that at United, De Gea was earning more than any player in the current Madrid squad and it has been rumoured that he has an even more lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia on the table, which the Spanish club would find impossible to match.