Afcon the obstacle as Madrid staff backs Morocco goalkeeper to replace Courtios

Morocco and Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou is top of Real Madrid’s list of targets after Thibaut Courtois ruptured his ACL on Thursday.

The Sevilla goalkeeper is the option that most convince the coaching staff and the club, with Courtois set to be out for up to nine months out.

Courtois will practically miss the entire season, so the situation forces the club to get down to work right away, and not just any alternative.

The Madrid staff are considering five other names: Mamardashvili, Kepa, Unai Simon, De Gea, and Keylor Navas, but the Sevilla player’s profile suits their expectations most.

The snags are the price. Madrid wants Bono, but not at any price and it remains to be seen what stance Sevilla would take. The upcoming Africa Cup of Nations does not help either. The tournament will take place from 13 January to 13 February 11,2024, and Morocco have qualified for it, so Bono would not be available for a whole month.

Besides the above, Bono is very popular for several reasons. Firstly, the experienced and winning profile of the Moroccan is highly valued. This is a goalkeeper who comes from reaching the semi-finals at the last World Cup in Qatar and who has won Europa League twice (2019-20 and 2022-23).

He is a goalkeeper who is used to big challenges that would withstand the pressure of the Bernabéu. His height (1.95 m) is also something that Madrid values.

Bono has a contract until 2025 and a termination clause of € 50 million, although he reached an agreement with Sevilla that they would let him go if a potential offer reached € 20 million.

He is an admirer of Real Madrid and even a close friend of Courtois. If Madrid decides to go for him, Bono would be ready to move to the Bernabéu.

The Sevilla goalkeeper was very close to accepting an offer from Saudi Arabian football, but the operation has been halted in its tracks by the emergence of Real Madrid.