Everton allowed goalkeeper Joel Robles to swap the Premier League for La Liga – but the Real Betis star could soon join Atletico Madrid.
Joel Robles has been so impressive this season that he has been lined up for a move to Atletico Madrid, according to Estadio Deportivo, with a man released by Everton shining at the peak of his shot-stopping powers.
While £30 million England international Jordan Pickford looks a fading shadow of his World Cup best, fumbling shots into his own net at an alarming rate, a goalkeeper who left Goodison Park for absolutely nothing is producing the best performances of his career.
Since returning to Spain, Joel has made a mockery of Everton’s failure to tie him down to a new contract.
The 29-year-old’s cat like reflexes have saved an underperforming Real Betis side on more than one occasion this season with his masterclass display against Real Madrid back in November sticking in the memory.
Joel made seven saves on the night as Betis somehow snatched a 0-0 draw at the Santiago Bernabau – a statistic made all the more remarkable when you consider he played much of the game with one contact lense.
According to reports, the one-time Wigan Athletic favourite could soon be rewarded with a return to one of Europe’s bonafide superclubs – Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
“You know what Atlético represents to me,” says Joel, who represented Los Colchoneros between 2007 and 2013.
No one could say he doesn’t deserve a second chance in the Spanish capital.
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