Real Madrid are prepared to pay Athletic Bilbao €20m for goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to complete a transfer in January, say reports in Spain.
The Spain international’s deal at the San Mames expires next summer and has been linked with a move to the Bernabeu due to the drawn-out nature of his renewal talks.
However, Thursday’s front page of Marca outlines that the Spanish champions have agreed to accelerate the transfer in January and are willing to pay a transfer fee to complete the deal.
The 23-year-old has yet to win a cap for his national side but is now a regular deputy to David De Gea and is excelling at club level after long-standing Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz left for Girona.
Kepa would likely replace Keylor Navas as the first choice goalkeeper at Los Blancos, whilst it would almost certainly end the long-running speculation over a move for Manchester United’s De Gea.
As a coincidence, the Basque club host Madrid this weekend but the goalkeeper is unlikely to feature due to injury.
