SPL club readying bid to sign Real Madrid superstar Thibaut Courtois - Reports
Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli are reportedly preparing a bid to sign Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian shot-stopper joined Los Blancos from Chelsea in 2018 for a reported price of €35 million (via Transfermarkt).
Courtois has been a mainstay on the Real Madrid teamsheet throughout his time at the club. The Belgian has played 247 games for the club across competitions, conceding 229 goals and recording 100 clean sheets for the Spanish giants.
Courtois has won two UEFA Champions League titles, two FIFA Club World Cups, three LaLiga titles, three Spanish Super Cups, and two UEFA Supercup titles, among others. He was also voted Goalkeeper of the Season in 2021-22.
According to a report by Voetbal24 (via Tribal Football), Saudi side Al-Ahli are interested in signing the Belgian and are already preparing a bid for the player. The report further states that the club is also interested in Manchester City's shot-stopper Ederson.
In August 2021, Thibaut Courtois signed a contract extension with Los Blancos, keeping him at Santiago Bernabeu till June 30, 2026. His current deal also carries a massive buyout clause of €700 million (via Tribal Football).
However, his last two seasons have been laden with injuries. In August 2023, Courtois was sidelined for a whopping 234 days because of a cruciate ligament tear. Coming back in March 2024, he was sidelined for another 40 days because of a meniscus tear.
At present, Courtois is out of the Madrid side because of a recently acquired adductor muscle injury, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Real Madrid lost 4-0 to Barcelona in the season's first El Clasico in the absence of Thibaut Courtois
Real Madrid faced their first defeat of the LaLiga season against league rivals Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, October 26. It was the club's first defeat in five El Clasicos across competitions as they were thrashed 4-0 by the visitors.
In the absence of Thibaut Courtois, manager Carlo Ancelotti fielded backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. The Ukrainian shot-stopper conceded two quickfire goals (54', and 56') from Robert Lewandowski. Lamine Yamal (77') and Raphinha (84') also scored to end the game 4-0 in favor of the visitors.
It ended the club's 42-game undefeated streak in LaLiga, preserving Barcelona's 43-game record set during the 2017-18 season. The loss also opened up a six-point gap between Real Madrid (24) and Barcelona (30) at the top of the LaLiga 2024-25 table.