A report from MARCA has claimed that Real Madrid will count on Thibaut Courtois to be their first-choice keeper next season while Andriy Lunin will retain his spot as the Belgian’s understudy.
The publication further mentions that although Kepa Arrizabalaga’s performance has been quite satisfying, the Spaniard’s high transfer fee and salary demands are making it hard for Real Madrid to retain him on a permanent transfer.
Kepa is not justifying his place
Kepa came to Real Madrid as the first-choice goalkeeper following the ACL injury to Courtois, but he lost that position over time.
The Chelsea loanee needed to play well to prove he deserved to be the number one goalkeeper, which Ancelotti had initially given him after just ten days with the team.
Although he fit in well and played okay, he didn’t perform exceptionally. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side either, as he suffered a muscle injury just when he was in good form, and this kept him out of the game for three weeks, during which Lunin shined brightly.
Ancelotti said before going to Riyadh that the first Super Cup game wouldn’t decide the main goalkeeper for the whole season.
But Kepa’s performance during Real Madrid’s 5-3 win over Atletico Madrid was questionable, to say the very least. Ancelotti tried to be as positive as he could after the game while speaking about the keeper.
“Kepa’s game was good. I think he couldn’t do anything with the first two goals and in the third, he might have been a little bothered by Morata’s jump. It was a good game,” he said.
So what next for Kepa?
The club leaders aren’t really involved in this situation. They do check things out and decide about the players’ future, but right now, it looks tough for Kepa to stay at Real Madrid.
His loan ends in June, and so far, nothing suggests that they’re turning his summer 2023 loan into a permanent deal.
Real Madrid are planning on keeping Courtois as their main keeper for the 2024-25 season, and if not him, then Lunin is the next choice, though nobody knows what Lunin wants.
Kepa might not stick around because his high salary doesn’t make him a likely option. The final decision will be made at the end of the season.