Real Madrid Transfers: Three clubs interested in Los Blancos’ most important backup
Real Madrid could have a busy winter transfer window ahead of them. Top free agents, such as Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba, will be available on pre-contract agreements, big names like Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio are mired in rumors, and some loan moves could come to fruition. Luka Jovic, for example, is now open to leaving.
The top backup striker to Karim Benzema, Jovic has an important place in the squad, so loaning him involves some risk. But there is another backup at Real Madrid generating interest on the loan market whose departure would be an even bigger blow to the team’s depth.
According to a report from MARCA’s Pablo Polo, Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is generating loan interest from last season’s Ligue 1 champions Granada, Real’s next opponent Granada, and a team that recently beat Los Blancos in Espanyol.
Lunin needs minutes, and he isn’t going to get them in Madrid. Thibaut Courtois is arguably the best goalkeeper on the planet and – along with Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, and Vinicius Junior – one of the vital standouts of the team. Resting him is not an option, and that’s why Lunin has never played a match for Los Blancos since the Copa del Rey defeat to Alcoyano early in the year.
Andriy Lunin needs to play, but could Real Madrid quickly replace him?
Aside from some more Copa appearances, Lunin doesn’t have much of a chance at getting on the pitch. The 22-year-old goalkeeper, as we saw against Rangers, has a ton of talent. He could become one of the best goalkeepers in the world one day, but not playing is slowing down his development.
Yet, as the article notes, Real Madrid can’t really afford to loan him out. Who would be the backup? Could they find a veteran player behind Courtois as they did in 2019-2020 when Alphonse Areola replaced Keylor Navas’ spot in the squad as a PSG loanee?
That might be the only possibility if Real are serious about making sure Lunin gets more minutes. He was on minor loan deals before rejoining Los Blancos, and now he is ready for a bigger step in importance. Clubs in the top flight fit the bill, and getting a chance to start for a team like Lille, for example, would be an incredible opportunity.
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Lunin’s situation is worth monitoring closely this winter. He is important to Real Madrid and someone valuable for the future, but those two very facts come into conflict when weighing the positives and negatives of a winter loan. With the schedule more condensed than ever and uncertainty thusly at a high, the Lunin question becomes even more difficult.