Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Thibaut Courtois and David De Gea
Real Madrid will reportedly ask after the availability of Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Manchester United stopper David De Gea at the end of the season, as they seek to improve their options at the base of the team.
That's according to Sky Sports' Guillem Balague, who has suggested Los Blancos will enquire into both players, with doubts creeping in as to whether Keylor Navas is good enough to be the team's starting option.
"Real Madrid are not impressed with [Navas]," said Balague in a question-and-answer session for Sky Sports. "They will approach both [Courtois] and [de Gea], which doesn't mean they will get them, but the approach will arrive."
Here is a look at how the trio of goalkeepers compare this season statistically in league matches:
| Appearances | 12 | 22 | 22 |
| Clean sheets | 3 | 13 | 7 |
| Average saves per game | 2 | 1.59 | 1.73 |
| Average saves per goal | 2.4 | 2.5 | 1.9 |
| Claim success | 90% | 86% | 99% |
| Punch average | 50% | 27% | 9% |
Madrid famously came close to signing De Gea ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, although the two sides ran out of time to get the deal done. However, some strong performances from the Costa Rica international, culminating in UEFA Champions League success, meant not signing the United man was not lamented for long.
This season has been one of prosperity in the main for Madrid too, as the team set a Spanish record 40 games unbeaten in all competitions recently. It's a sequence that was ended by Sevilla, who beat Los Blancos 2-1 this month; Navas should have done a lot better with the decisive goal.
Per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC, overall, the Madrid stopper hasn't looked totally confident between the sticks this season:
Courtois has at Chelsea. The Belgium international endured a tough 2015-16, as the entire Blues side struggled to replicate the standards set in the title-winning campaign a year earlier. But now he's back to his imperious best.
There have been plenty of stories linking Courtois with a move to Real, too. According to Marca's Jose Felix Diaz (translated by Patrick Boyland), the 24-year-old has already advised friends that he expects to be putting on the Madrid jersey next year.
Having spent three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid, Courtois would take no time adapting to life in the Spanish capital. As we can see here courtesy of OptaJoe via Bleacher Report UK, if Madrid were to land the Blues man, they'd be getting a wonderful goalkeeper:
Like Courtois, De Gea also used to represent Atletico, although it's clear that Real have been longstanding admirers of the United man.
Since his move to Old Trafford from the Vicente Calderon, De Gea has gone from strength to strength. Not only is he the finest shot-stopper in the game, he's commanding under the high ball, fast off his line and continues to improve his distribution, too.
As noted by Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette, it's remarkable to think there were major doubts about the Spaniard's credentials when he arrived at the club:
Navas has been a fine goalkeeper for Madrid. Last season, ahead of which he was set to move to United as part of the De Gea switch, he could have easily struggled in the knowledge he wasn't wanted. Yet he knuckled down, progressed as a footballer and was a key contributor to Los Blancos' 11th European Cup win.
Even so, Madrid will always target the best players in the world and as good a 'keeper as Navas is, both Courtois and de Gea would be an upgrade. Having tried and failed to get the latter, the Chelsea man is most likely the more attainable of the two, although both Premier League giants will surely meet any approach with substantial resistance.
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