Iker Casillas Needs Transfer from Real Madrid to Bolster World Cup Chances

Iker Casillas is viewed by many fans as the greatest Spanish goalkeeper of all time, but if he remains with Real Madrid for the entirety of the 2013-14 season, he risks not being selected to the Spanish World Cup team by manager Vicente del Bosque.

Casillas had a trying year with Los Blancos last season under former boss Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager benched Casillas in favor of Antonio Adan late in 2012, which led to a poor relationship between them for the remainder of the campaign.

Things figured to get better for Casillas this year with Carlo Ancelotti taking over as manager at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but it already appears as though that isn't the case. Casillas served as Madrid's backup when Los Blancos defeated Real Betis 2-1 on Sunday, as Diego Lopez was given the start instead.

Ancelotti's decision elicited a reaction from Victor Valdes, who happens to play goalkeeper for rival Barcelona. Valdes has also been an international teammate of Casillas', and he was surprised to see that Lopez played for Madrid rather than Casillas in the team's opener, according to Telegraph Sport.

"

I am not the one to have an opinion because it is not my club and I am not in that dressing room.

I would like to see him there though because it has always been a personal challenge for me to face him for a number of years.

"

Casillas' exclusion from Madrid's starting lineup has only served to fuel speculation that he could potentially be transferred. One potential landing spot, according to Daniel Harris of The Guardian, is Arsenal. The Gunners suffered a shocking 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the first week of EPL play, and they desperately need to make a move in order to shake things up.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger failed to make a splash on the transfer market during the offseason, and the Gunners have money to burn. The main sticking point, however, is that Real Madrid are asking for £15 million in exchange for Casillas, and Wenger may not be willing to spend that much on a keeper.

Whether or not he ends up at Arsenal, it has become blatantly obvious that Casillas is in desperate need of a transfer. There is no question that Casillas would love to help a team win a league title and even a Champions League title, but his main focus right now has to be his standing with La Roja as the 2014 World Cup in Brazil could be his last hurrah.

Goalkeepers usually have a longer shelf life than other positions, but Casillas will be 33 by the time the 2014 World Cup rolls around. That means he'll be 37 during the 2018 World Cup, so it's entirely possible that he only has one more chance to play on the world stage. Serving primarily as a backup with Madrid will undoubtedly damage his chances.

It's possible that del Bosque would consider putting Casillas on the squad simply to celebrate his many years of service to the Spanish national team, but Casillas likely wants to earn a starting job rather than being gifted a spot on the team as a backup. There is reason to believe that Casillas is still good enough to start for Spain based upon how he played during offseason friendlies and tournaments.

Madrid defeated Chelsea 3-1 in the International Champions Cup final, and Casillas was spectacular. According to the ICC on Twitter, he was named the tournament's best goalkeeper.

Also, Casillas' success in international soccer is no secret. He captained Spain to its first World Cup title in 2010, and won the Golden Glove, which is awarded to the tournament's best goalkeeper. Perhaps Casillas isn't quite playing at the same level he was three years ago, but he can still contribute to a winning cause for club and country.

It's nearly impossible to imagine Casillas with a team other than Madrid as he has been with them since 1999, but now is the time for him to make a change. If there is a team willing to pay the price necessary to get him, Casillas must accept the transfer, or else he could find himself sitting at home and watching the 2014 World Cup unfold.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter