Real Madrid declined the opportunity to bring back former goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who offered his services after Thibaut Courtois suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Despite Courtois’ absence, Madrid opted to secure the services of Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea. Navas, a club legend, had expressed interest in returning to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Navas, who played a pivotal role in Madrid’s three consecutive Champions League victories under Zinedine Zidane, joined the club in 2014 from Levante and made a total of 162 appearances. After winning La Liga in 2016/17, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
The 37-year-old, who spent the second half of the previous season on loan with Nottingham Forest, returned to PSG but faced competition from Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite making appearances in pre-season friendlies, Navas has been sidelined with a back injury since October. With limited playing time at PSG, he may seek a transfer during the January window.
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However, Real Madrid, having conceded only 11 La Liga goals in the current season, are not expected to pursue a deal. Courtois, facing a lengthy recovery and set to miss Euro 2024, acknowledged the impossibility of participating in the European Championship. Meanwhile, Kepa has performed admirably as Courtois’ replacement, securing six clean sheets in 11 league games, supported by capable performances from third-choice goalkeeper Andriy Lunin in domestic and European competitions.