Particularly with Kyilan Mbappe disappointing lately, Real Madrid fans are increasingly of the belief that the best player on the team is Thibaut Courtois, and for many Madridistas, this has actually been a well held belief since the decline of Karim Benzema after his insane 2021/22 season.
Courtois is the great equalizer and the actual reason for a lot of what is termed as Real Madrid's magic. Opposing managers rave in awe and frustration at the sort of saves Courtois is able to make on a regular basis, and there is no such thing as a lack of concentration or a weakness for Courtois, whose leadership and personality have made him the most popular player on the team at a time when everything seems to be falling apart.
Now 34 years of age, Courtois still definitely has a few years of elite play left in the tank, but with major injuries in two of this last three seasons, the Belgian superstar is someone the club need to think about replacing long term, and whlie Andriy Lunin has been a tremendous No. 2, there's an increasing feeling that Real Madrid need to look for an even younger keeper as his heir.
Real Madrid are after an unknown
While there are plenty of Madridistas who want to see an academy hero get that chance, as Iker Casillas did more than 20 years ago, Real Madrid appear to be looking to the outside. According to a surprising report from Canal Plus, via Madrid Xtra, Real Madrid think Reims 20 year old goalkeeping prospect Ewen Jaouen could be the heir to Thibaut Courtois. And his price tag would reportedly be 25 million euros.
It's a surprising report because Real Madrid usually go after big stars, as Courtois himself was at Chelsea before his Santiago Bernabeu move, or players who are very obviously elite prospects like Vinicius Junior and Endrick were in the attack, to wit.
Jaouen is known in France but nowhere else, and with save percentages below 70 in his last two seasons in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, he isn't a slam dunk star. He has recorded clean sheets in nearly half his appearances at Reims last season and looks like a gem for the future, but a Real Madrid level heir to Courtois? Better than Andriy Lunin? Worth 25 million euros already? Now those things all remain to be seen, but Jaouen is absolutely someone Madrid will be scouting in 2026/27.
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