Report: Real Madrid looks to Premier League in goalkeeper hunt
Jason Cairnduff / Reuters
Real Madrid will take its search for a new goalkeeper to England when its transfer ban is lifted in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris has been added to Zinedine Zidane’s wish list, which also includes Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois and former target David De Gea of Manchester United, reports The Telegraph’s Matt Law.
The search revives the side’s shot-stopper hunt of 19 months ago, which culminated with De Gea’s £29.3-million move to the Santiago Bernabeu – with Keylor Navas shifting in the other direction – collapsing due to United’s apparent administrative error.
Related: Real Madrid pins blame on Manchester United for botching David De Gea transfer
Navas somewhat awkwardly continued as Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper after the bodged switch, but he’s never completely won over a support accustomed to having the finest Spanish goalkeepers between the sticks. The latest rumblings would immediately put De Gea back atop the fans’ dream captures, but United is likely to fight to retain his services.
Therefore, Lloris, 30, has emerged as a potential buy. The France international currently takes home around £100,000 a week on a new contract that runs until 2022 but could be tempted by doubled wages in the Spanish capital. Similar to the De Gea situation, there would be a reluctance from Spurs to sell their skipper, but the sales of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale from north London to Real Madrid show that their resolve can be tested.
The favourite for the Real Madrid brass would be Courtois, however, who impressed at Atletico Madrid in a three-year loan spell before relieving Petr Cech of glove-donning duties at Stamford Bridge in 2014. It’s believed the 24-year-old is settled at Chelsea after a strong season so far, though, so a new contract could be likelier than a switch to Real Madrid.
Navas will continue to mind the net for Real Madrid’s trip to Osasuna on Saturday, with Kiko Casilla set to have his opportunities limited by the club’s Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of Celta Vigo last week.
