We are less than a month away from the new year and the January transfer window. The rumor mill is in full swing with who Real Madrid will sign and are interested in bringing in. But the question many fans are asking is will Los Blancos sign a goalkeeper to replace Keylor Navas?
Real Madrid fans have been frustrated with the less than excellent play from Keylor Navas thus far this season. The Costa Rican has been dealing with some injury problems the last couple months and it has clearly affected his performance.
Apparently, the club aren’t 100% satisfied with Navas’ play either as they continue to pursue a possible new starting goalkeeper for the future. Every fan remembers the David de Gea, fax machine fiasco back a couple years.
Ever since that summer where Real nearly signed de Gea, they have been looking for a new man to step in for Keylor. As of right now, it seems Real Madrid will end up signing one of two of the best young goalkeepers in Europe some time in 2018.
Here are the three options:
Kepa Arrizabalaga: 23-year-old (currently with Athletic Bilbao)
Spanish goalkeeper, Kepa, has been rumored to already have a deal in place with Real Madrid, according to Marca and several other sources. The 23-year-old has been on Madrid’s radar for several months now as the keeper is having trouble reaching a new agreement with his current club.
Arrizabalaga has been in negotiations with Bilbao for over a year now and no deal has been reached as of yet. With his contract set to expire in June of 2018, this is the perfect opportunity for Los Blancos to snatch him up.
According to the reports, a deal has already been reached that will make the promising goaltender a Real Madrid player by as early as the first week in January.
Marca’s Cover | “Kepa will be a Real Madrid player in the first week of January.” pic.twitter.com/FHvyvMarL9
— Real Madrid Info ³⁵ (@RMadridInfo) December 11, 2017
As usual, there has been no confirmation from either side as to whether the rumors are true or not.
Kepa has been solid for a struggling Bilbao side having started in 14 of their first 15 league matches. In that time, the young goalie has registered four clean sheets (including one against Real Madrid), conceding 19 goals, and making 2.17 saves per goal allowed.
There are so many reports and rumors going around that Kepa has already agreed to a deal with Real Madrid, I think there is a very good chance he comes to the club in January.
Gianluigi Donnarumma: 18-years-old (currently with AC Milan)
Believed by many to be “the next Gigi Buffon,” 18-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma has already made a name for himself in the European football world by earning the starting goalkeeper role at AC Milan during the 2015/2016 season.
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Real Madrid has been keeping tabs on the Italian player for a couple years now, seeing his incredible height, talent, and intelligence earn him honors across the Serie A.
This season has been no different for Donnarumma as he has started 16 league matches, registering five clean sheets, while conceding 21 goals, and making 1.57 saves per goal allowed.
The reason he comes to mind as an option in January for Real Madrid is because of his recent disagreements with Milan over a new contract.
While his agent, Gennaro Gattuso, has played down the reports as nothing more than rumors, there is still a chance he could one day play for Madrid. Will it happen in January? I don’t see how he could.
AC Milan is struggling at the moment and Donnarumma has been there one bright point thus far this season. I think he will stay where he is for several more years.
Thibaut Courtois: 25-years-old (currently with Chelsa)
Although he played for Atletico Madrid for a season while on loan from Chelsea, there is no chance Thibaut Courtois has any loyalty to Real Madrid’s cross-town rivals.
Courtois’ current deal with Chelsea runs until the summer of 2019, but the Belgian international has not made any plans to sign a contract after the deal expires. This has begun to worry Chelsea fans while boosting Real Madrid fans hope that they can sign the prolific net-minder.
Courtois has been phenomenal this year in the Premier League after helping Chelsea to the title last season. In 15 matches, he has 7 clean sheets, conceding just 12 goals, and has the best save per goal ratio compared to the other two keepers on this list with 2.50 per.
I am a big fan of Thibaut and there’s no doubting he is a world-class goalie. However, I don’t see him coming to the Spanish capital in January. Is there a chance for him to still come to Madrid?
Absolutely. He could as soon as this upcoming summer.
If not then, then at the end of his current contract with the team hailing from London. Either way, I think one day, president Florentino Perez signs Thibaut Courtois to be the guy in net for Real Madrid.
Conclusion
So, will Real Madrid sign a goalkeeper in January? I think so.
It won’t be Donnarumma or Courtois, however. It will be Kepa for several reasons.
As I mentioned before, his contract troubles with Athletic are making it seem like he wants out soon. Second, all the rumors of him having a deal in place just a month before the winter window opens have some validity.
Finally, the recent struggles of Keylor Navas and the slacking play from the team in the league will motivate Perez to get some kind of deal done ASAP.