Real Madrid’s goalkeeping situation has been a curious case to follow over the course of the season so far. Thibaut Courtois tore his anterior cruciate ligament back in August, which is expected to rule him out for the entire campaign, and that saw Kepa Arrizabalaga arrive on loan from Chelsea.
Kepa replaced Andriy Lunin, who had started Real Madrid’s first two matches of the season, and he had been performing fairly well until he picked up a muscle injury at the start of last month. As such, he has missed the last four matches, and during that time, Lunin has majorly impressed.
However, it was not enough for him to retain the number one spot, as Carlo Ancelotti admitted that Kepa will be back in goals against Real Betis next week. Reports have suggested that the Italian’s insistence on Kepa is to do with next summer, as he wants Real Madrid to sign the 29-year-old to be Courtois’ back-up for next season and beyond.
On this front, there has been little movement so far, with Relevo saying that Real Madrid bosses are considering whether to make a move for Kepa next summer. At this stage, no negotiations have taken place, but the expectation is they will occur at some stage.
Kepa would be an experienced backup to Courtois, but it would leave Lunin out in the cold – his Real Madrid contract expires at the end of the season, and if he is backup for the rest of the season, it would be a surprise if he renewed.
