Real Madrid target signs new contract
Real Madrid target Kepa Arrizabalaga has signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao which has an €80 million release clause.
The young Spanish goalkeeper has committed his future to the club with a seven-year contract. This guarantees that Real Madrid will have to pay a huge sum if they want to pry him away in the summer.
His current contract was due to run out in the summer, so he was a potential bargain. Los Blancos were heavily linked with him and it was expected that he would be signing a pre-contract agreement with them, at the very least.
Zinedine Zidane’s unwillingness to commit to a decision has cost Real significantly. Even bringing him in during this window would only have cost them €20 million due to his release clause. His injury did impact proceedings because he needs surgery which will rule him out for three to four months. However, signing him and keeping Kiko Casilla as back up for Keylor Navas until the end of the season was a viable option.
This outcome couldn’t come at a worse time for Zidane; his team sit 19 points behind leaders Barcelona in the league and have struggled all season. They did win 7-1 at the weekend, but that was against Deportivo who are in the relegation zone.
Athletic Club and @kepa_46 have signed the renewal contract by which the player will remain in the rojiblanca discipline until 30 June 2025. His cancellation clause will be 80 million Euros. #athletic pic.twitter.com/4lDrSCFIha
— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) January 22, 2018
The upcoming week is crucial because they face Leganés in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals with a 1-0 lead to defend, and they face third place Valencia at the weekend in the league.
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A bad result in either of these could seal Zidane’s fate if Florentino Pérez hasn’t decided already.
There appears to be severe issues with Real’s decision-making because this is the second major target they have missed out on in the space of five months. Kylian Mbappé was also heavily linked with Los Blancos, but ended up at PSG.
Other targets?
The other major players of interest for the Madrid side are Thibaut Courtois and David De Gea. Courtois does appear to be slightly unsettled because of the uncertainty surrounding Antonio Conte. Signing him seems a lot simpler than going after De Gea who appears to be settled at Manchester United. The deadline day antics in 2015 won’t have helped Real’s reputation in his opinion, either.
Next: Real Madrid dismantle Deportivo
Out of the two, De Gea is the better goalkeeper, but they would both be excellent long-term replacements for Navas. Courtois also has experience of La Liga from his time at Atlético Madrid, which is beneficial.