For years, Real Madrid fans have heard the rumors about Andriy Lunin's future. They have heard about how Lunin may want to spread his wings elsewhere and have his chance at being the No. 1 guy, out of the shadow of Thibaut Courtois.
Yet the Ukrainian star has remained between the sticks for Madrid a Tibo's No. 2, out of loyalty for Madrid. Plus, winning two Champions League titles does not hurt. And even though Courtois started that final in 2024 against Borussia Dortmund, Lunin played a vital role in getting Real to that point, shining with Courtois injured.
At some point, though, the sand in the hour glass will reach the bottom, and Real Madrid will have to make the decision on Lunin. Or Lunin will have to take matters into his own hands and decide for himself. Courtois's injuries this season have forced Lunin into action several times, and while Lunin has made some high profile saves and shined in a few games, the overall perception of his goalkeeping his less sweet than it was before the season started.
Andriy Lunin is not going to be the No. 1
There is, of course, the high profile game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Lunin made back breaking positional and mental lapses, while showing a lack of quality on the ball in comparison to Courtois, who has improved tremendously in this regard. Stating that Lunin is no Courtois is stating the obvious, but in the biggest moment when it was his time to be the savior, Lunin could not get the job done.
But anecdotes are anecdotes. Statistics are another matter. In La Liga this season, Lunin's numbers have been poor. After a save percentage of just 65 in the 2024/25 season - a well below average figure that went largely unnoted - Lunin's save percentage remains under 70 percent in the 2025/26 campaign, which is obviously an unacceptable number for a Real Madrid starter.
Of course, Andriy Lunin is not the starter. But he is billed as starting quality, if not a star. And that should be where the player, who is quietly entering what are supposed to be the prime years of his career, sees himself. Every Real Madrid player should have ambition, and Lunin seems like an ambitious guy. He will want to be the main man somewhere eventually.
Deep down, Real Madrid know that will never be here. Not only is this Thibaut Courtois' team right now, but whenever Courtois is done being the No. 1, Lunin has quietly shown that he is not meeting that incredibly lofty standard. Courtois has spoiled the Madridistas in goal, and they will want something better than Lunin. This summer is when the other shoe drops for the Real Madrid backup.
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