Tottenham have been linked with Real Madrid’s Keylor Navas – but it’s a move that looks unlikely.
Real Madrid’s Keylor Navas celebrates
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has told Sky Sports that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez no longer wants Keylor Navas as the club’s goalkeeper – and he has been linked with Spurs this week.
Navas, 30, made his name with Levante following spells with Albacete and Saprissa, but really shot to stardom during Costa Rica’ superb run to the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals.
Shortly after his exploits in that tournament, Navas was snapped up by Real Madrid, effectively serving as cover for Iker Casillas, making just 11 appearances in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Navas became Real’s first-choice stopper in 2015 though, as Casillas was sold to Porto, and Real missed out on top goalkeeper target David De Gea, with a failed deal for the Manchester United ace handing Navas the gloves.
Navas has been a solid performer for Real ever since, making almost 100 appearances for the club whilst helping them win last season’s Champions League, but his future is starting to look bleak.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has not only revealed to Sky Sports that Real want to sign either Chelsea star Thibaut Courtois or return for De Gea agiain, but also claims that Real president Florentino Perez has decided that he doesn’t want Navas anymore.
Earlier this week, Spanish outlet Don Balon reported that Navas has interest from two Premier League teams – Arsenal and Tottenham – but the latter seems to be an unlikely destination right now.
Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris
Tottenham’s first-choice stopper, Hugo Lloris, is one of the top goalkeepers in Europe, and he appears to be settled under Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane, with Navas unlikely to settle for second fiddle, and Spurs unlikely to invest so much in another goalkeeper when they also have Michel Vorm and Pau Lopez.
Even if Lloris does leave Tottenham this summer, paying big money for a 30-year-old doesn’t seem like something Pochettino or chairman Daniel Levy would be keen on, with a move for a younger goalkeeper like Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford or Stoke City’s Jack Butland seeming more realistic.
The only possible reason Spurs would be in the market for a new goalkeeper is if Lloris leaves this summer, and Navas doesn’t appear to fit Tottenham’s profile right now, meaning that whilst the goalkeeper may be on his way out of the Spanish capital this summer, a move to White Hart Lane seems far-fetched.
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