Thibaut Courtois’ Real Madrid dream could be over after just one season

Conquering hero Zinedine Zidane returned to Real Madrid a few weeks ago, and has since set the wheels of the rumor mill churning day and night. But as much as that may be good news for Eden Hazard’s Real Madrid ambitions, it may be hilariously terrible news for Thibaut Courtois’ Real Madrid dream.

As we may recall, Courtois rowed back on his promises to force a move to the Galacticos last summer, and has made sure to woo Eden Hazard to the Santiago Bernabéu at every opportunity as well.

Most amusingly, even if Hazard goes to Madrid, Courtois may not get to play (much) with him. Zidane is said to have maintained his strong preference for Keylor Navas, and has hinted that next season, he does not want to worry about having to deal with another goalkeeper debate-distraction.

“I assure you that next year there will be no debate about the goalkeeper.

“Whether I will play with a regular goalkeeper next year? That depends on the keepers that I will have in my squad. At the moment I have three good ones. But there will be certainly no debate, I tell you that now. It’s going to be pretty clear.”

“I am speaking to the club, I have told the club what we want to do. We are already doing that. At the end of the season things will be made public.”

-Zinedine Zidane; Source: Mirror

Those three goalkeepers are Courtois, Zidane’s own son, Luca, and Keylor Navas. The latter won three Champions League titles with Zidane, and was immediately restored as the undisputed number one when Zidane came back. Meanwhile, with Courtois apparently picking up an injury over the international break, Luca Zidane got the nod over the weekend against bottom-of-the-table Huesca as Navas was involved in internationals late Wednesday in Costa Rica.

With Navas entering the final year of his contract and Courtois just one year into a six-year deal, not to mention Zidane just two games into his new tenure, it may be premature to call a definite end to Thibaut’s time in Madrid. But just the suggestion is already amusing.

Should this happen, the Spanish media reckon that PSG would be willing to reimburse Real Madrid the £40m they paid Chelsea for Courtois, and give him the opportunity to learn in person from Gigi Buffon, who’s in line for a contract extension. Another suggestion includes a swap for David De Gea at Manchester United.

But won’t somebody think of his children!?