“Wanted to present Kepa”
Courtois’ tears washed away Bayern’s hopes
08/13/2023 2:04 p.m
FC Bayern has now completed Harry Kane’s mega transfer, but one important personal detail remains unclear: Which top goalkeeper will guard the club’s goal until Manuel Neuer reports back? The candidates are slowly running out.
FC Bayern Munich are looking for a new goalkeeper to fill the gap left by Manuel Neuer – but only until the badly injured club saint reports back to action. A top man should be the new one who should protect the big goals of the club at home and internationally. According to the club, Kepa Arrizabalaga would have been one of them. But the 28-year-old will play for Real Madrid in the future.
The Spaniard, who once switched to Chelsea for 80 million euros and thus became the most expensive keeper in the world, was at the top of FC Bayern’s list. But then a serious injury threw a spanner in the works for the Bundesliga club: Because Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid’s world goalkeeper, tore his cruciate ligament and was carried away from the training ground in tears, the search for the designated new placeholder continues.
“We are confident with Manuel Neuer that he will come back within the second half of the year. We need a second goalkeeper,” said CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen on the sidelines of the presentation of the 100 million newcomer Harry Kane on the goalkeeper problem. “We would have presented them with a goalkeeper in Kepa today, but he chose Real Madrid.” A first offer for a loan with a purchase option to Chelsea FC for Kepa’s services is said to have already been made.
“Extremely complex” search
With the bitter injury of Belgian Courtois, who will be absent from Real Madrid for several months, a highly attractive competitor has just appeared in the small market of top goalkeepers with a willingness to step down to the second tier without a fight. As a result, the Bundesliga team had no chance in the fight for Kepa. Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel once worked with the Spaniard, who recently lost his place at the club, at Chelsea.
The search for the new man is “extremely complex. We’re probably looking for what nobody else is looking for in the football world,” said Tuchel recently. The German soccer record champion is looking for someone who has “the potential and the personality” to be number one at FC Bayern, but who will also accept his role as a regular after Neuer’s return. When Neuer, who broke his lower leg in a skiing accident in December 2022, will return is still completely open. However, Dreesen remains “convinced that we will find a solution by September 1.”
Bad news from the Netherlands
Meanwhile, there was bad news from the Netherlands: Gerónimo Rulli was injured there at the start of the league for his club Ajax Amsterdam. The 31-year-old suffered a shoulder injury in the 4-1 win against Heracles Almelo, and the Argentine had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher when he was substituted after just over half an hour. The Argentine goalkeeper should also be a candidate at Bayern Munich. It was not clear on Sunday morning how long Rulli would be out.
With the Swiss national goalkeeper Yann Sommer, the original Neuer successor, who FC Bayern signed during the winter break, has now moved on to Inter Milan. After the departure of Alexander Nübel (on loan to VfB Stuttgart), there are only two young goalkeepers left in the record champions’ squad alongside the experienced Sven Ullreich.