Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has been one of the protagonists in an ongoing discussion at Valdebebas for some time, with Carlo Ancelotti having encouraged Los Blancos to buy a replacement for the Ukrainian for the past 18 months. Yet Lunin remains, and with injuries to Kepa Arrizabalaga and Thibaut Courtois, has been playing of late.
It looked almost certain that Lunin would be leaving the club at the end of next summer, with his deal up in 2024, and little sign of the first-team opportunities the 24-year-old craves. Yet Lunin is happy in Madrid according to Relevo, and as El Chiringuito reported, his deal runs until 2025 rather than the publicly announced 2024. Shortly after he arrived in 2018, Los Blancos renewed his deal for an extra year, but did not announce it.
This will obviously have an impact on his future, but could change the way Los Blancos look at the situation. Kepa will be the number two at Real Madrid to Courtois if he gets his way, and there is a section of Real Madrid board that believe he should be signed from Chelsea. This could be a reasonably pricey deal for a back-up goalkeeper though, and if Real Madrid prefer a more economic option, then it may be that they stick with Lunin. His renewal is not ruled out after some solid performances in recent weeks too – many within the club respect Lunin as a player and a professional.
Even if Real Madrid do sign Kepa permanently, Lunin’s recent performances mean he could well have created a market for himself. A longer contract would give Real Madrid some security in the market, and potentially a chance to earn some money for him.
