Real Madrid are left without a top class goalkeeper after stalwart Thibaut Courtois tore his ACL in training.
Real Madrid officially have a massive goalkeeping problem. On Thursday, the club announced that Thibaut Courtois — arguably among the best in the world in his position — had injured his ACL during training. He will undergo surgery in the coming days, and is effectively out for the season before it's even begun.
So what do Madrid do now? Los Blancos have a solid back-up in their ranks, with Andriy Lunin having shown promise in a handful of appearances. But there are also a few interesting options potentially available on the market.
Signing one of them likely won't be an expensive endeavour, however, and Madrid will still back Courtois to return to his pre-injury form in 2024-25, so the player must come in with their eyes open that this could be a one-season agreement.
Regardless, Madrid need a competent No.1 if they are to compete on all three fronts this season, so who's available? GOAL looks at Madrid's best options…
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David de Gea (free agent)
David de Gea is a curious one. As a shot-stopper, there aren't many better out there. The Spanish keeper has made some extraordinary saves over the years and proved himself as a solid one-on-one operator, too.
Still, it's hard to overlook his fault — and there are a lot of them. De Gea is poor with his feet, increasingly error prone, and is beaten at his near post concerningly often. Throw in the size of his expected salary demands, and this doesn't make the most sense in terms of value for money.
Manchester United have struggled with his risks and rewards for a few years now — and finally made the decision to get rid of him this summer. But a desperate Madrid might just overlook the bad in order to take advantage of the good. They have, after all, tried to sign him before…
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Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain)
How about a wholesome reunion? Keylor Navas enjoyed an excellent spell between the sticks for Madrid from 2014-2018. It was, in fact, the arrival of Courtois that saw the Costa Rican depart for Paris Saint-Germain.
And he didn't have much luck there, either. The Parisians signed Gigi Donnarumma within 10 months of his arrival, and relegated Navas to the bench. He's still out of starting contention in Paris, but a loan spell at Nottingham Forest towards the end of last season showed that he can still play at the highest level.
PSG might want to keep him, though, with Sergio Rico's horrendous accident leaving the Parisians without a clear No.2. It's one to watch, but external factors might, once again, limit Navas' career prospects.
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Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea)
It would be the ultimate act of failing upwards. Kepa Arrizabalaga has shown in the five years since his record-breaking £72 million ($92m) move to Chelsea that he isn't really that good of a goalkeeper. The Spain international has enjoyed some memorable moments and has some top saves in him, but his flaws have consistently outweighed his ability. He has been error-ridden over the course of his stay, and has a real problem stopping shots from distance.
That could be an issue for a Madrid side that don't really concede too many chances. If anything, Madrid 'keepers have to be able to stop the certain goals, and salvage games that seem to be going the other way.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea would sell, but they have just signed Robert Sanchez from Brighton and Bayern Munich have already tested the water as they search for their own No.1. Madrid could do worse than get themselves involved, too.
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Yassine Bounou (Sevilla)
Yassine Bounou became something of a cult hero at the 2022 World Cup after turning in a handful of excellent performances for Morocco, and he carried that momentum into the club season for Sevilla, playing a key role as the Spanish side won the Europa League (again.)
He isn't a very versatile option. Indeed, Bounou is a pure shot-stopper, capable of delivering in big moments. If Ancelotti wants a keeper to spray the ball around, or even come off his line regularly, he isn't really the right fit.
He could, though, certainly do a job. Bounou's skill in penalty shootouts is undeniable, while he is also surprisingly good in the air, despite being under 6'3. And at 32, he might be a solid option on a short-term deal.
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