Some things never change. Xabi Alonso has arrived at Real Madrid with new ideas for Carlo Ancelotti, but one thing remains the same. Courtois is the starting goalkeeper and Lunin continues to be relegated to the bench. During the Club World Cup, the Belgian played every minute, with the coach giving the Ukrainian no opportunity whatsoever. Faced with this situation, the goalkeeper wants to leave Real Madrid and his agent is looking for a new team for him. His destination could be close to being finalized and could be in LaLiga.
Courtois remains a ten
It’s difficult to earn your place when you’re competing with one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Thibaut Courtois has once again demonstrated during the Club World Cup why he is the undisputed number one goalkeeper at Real Madrid. Against Pachuca, in a match that the Whites won 3-1, the Belgian goalkeeper made more than a dozen saves that prevented further damage. The same happened in the quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund. The Whites seemed to have the game under control, but in the final stages it became so complicated that the Belgian had to produce a miraculous save to prevent extra time and send the team through to the semi-finals.
Lunin has grown tired of waiting
During the tournament, one of the players who did not play a single minute was Lunin, who was a regular on Xabi Alonso’s bench. This is not a new situation for the goalkeeper, who spends more time than he would like waiting for an opportunity that never comes. He did get his chance last season when the Belgian was seriously injured. He won the position from Kepa and led the team to the Champions League final and left LaLiga within touching distance.
Once Courtois returned from injury and was back in the equation, Ancelotti opted for him for the final stretch of the season, where the league title was sealed, and he was key between the sticks against Borussia Dortmund to lift the fifteenth trophy. Lunin is clear that as long as he remains at Real Madrid, he will play a secondary role and will not play in any finals.
Villarreal inquires about him
The player seems to have had enough and his agent has been looking for a team for him for weeks. It is not an easy task, as last summer the goalkeeper renewed his contract with a salary that is not affordable for all of his suitors. Furthermore, Real Madrid is not closing the door on him, but they are not going to give him away either; they want at least €20 million for his transfer.
In the last few hours, a new suitor has emerged that would be very attractive to Lunin. It is Villarreal, where Marcelino does not have full confidence in either Luiz Júnior or Diego Conde, so he has set his sights on the Ukrainian to increase competition in goal. Transfer market journalist Matteo Moretto has reported on this interest, stating that his departure to Villarreal could only be considered on a loan basis. If the deal goes through, the Real Madrid goalkeeper could play in the Champions League with another team.