Real Madrid open talks to sign 32-year-old goalkeeper as he pushes for transfer following Thibaut Courtois' injury: Reports
According to MARCA, Real Madrid have opened talks with Sevilla to sign Yassine Bono as Thibaut Courtois' replacement. The Belgian suffered an ACL injury in training and is set to undergo surgery. He will be sidelined for a considerable amount of time as a result.
With the season set to get underway, Los Blancos need to add a new goalkeeper in their ranks as Andriy Lunin is the only shot-stopper in the club's ranks at this point in time.
MARCA previously reported that Los Blancos are considering a move for David de Gea. A report from COPE, however, stated that Carlo Ancelotti vetoed De Gea's signing.
The Madrid giants also want Bono in their ranks. The Moroccan was a key player during the 2022 FIFA World Cup for his national team and helped the Atlas Lions get a fourth-placed finish in the tournament in Qatar.
Bono has so far made 140 appearances for Sevilla, keeping 58 clean sheets. While the Andalusian club initially valued the player at €20 million, it is understood that they now want €30 million for Bono.
Courtois has been one of Real Madrid's key players in recent seasons as he has so far made 230 appearances for the Madrid giants since joining them in 2018. He has kept 91 clean sheets in that time.
Hence, the Belgian's absence is a massive blow for the club. With the La Liga season set to get underway soon, finding a worthy replacement for him is crucial for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke about Thibaut Courtois' injury
Real Madrid are set to kick off their La Liga campaign with an August 12 showdown against Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames. Courtois' injury right before the game was bad news for Los Blancos.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Bilbao showdown, Carlo Ancelotti addressed Courtois' injury and said that the team will be putting its faith on Andriy Lunin (via Los Blancos' website):
“Yesterday wasn't a good day for us mentally. We had an injury to a key player, but that happens in football. I want to wish Courtois a speedy recovery and I'm going to put my faith in Lunin, who's a top goalkeeper.
"He did really well in the pre-season because he's a great player and he's talented. He lacks the experience but now he'll take everything one game at a time.”
While Lunin joined Real Madrid back in 2018, opportunities in the first team were hard to come by for him. The Ukrainian has so far made 17 appearances for the Madrid club, keeping four clean sheets across competitions.