Los Blancos are one of the best teams in the world. Having won 33 La Liga titles, 19 Copa del Rey, 13 UEFA Champions League titles, and 2 UEFA Cups, it is the dream of any player to join a club of such prestige and reputation.
Real Madrid were always on a lookout for a world-class goalkeeper after the departure of Casillas. Having the deal for De Gea in 2015-16 collapse due to paperwork not submitted before the transfer window in Spain closed, Real Madrid didn’t want to repeat the embarrassing mistake again, and hence moved quickly to seal the transfer of Courtois.
With just one year left on his contract at Chelsea, he was sold to Real Madrid for an undisclosed amount. This was made possible due to the arrival of Spanish goalkeeper Kepa for a world record fee.
Real Madrid have now got a certified world-class goalkeeper in their ranks. It will certainly now make it extremely difficult for the opposition to score against Real Madrid due to their formidable defense now including Courtois.
Thibaut Courtois is a ready made Galactico. Having kept 16 clean sheets last season, he was awarded the Premier League Golden Glove. Courtois also helped Chelsea win the 2014-15 League title on his return from Atletico Madrid.
Courtois was awarded the prestigious FIFA Golden Glove award for his outstanding performances for Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In 7 matches, he kept 3 clean sheets and had a save record of 81.8 percent.
Courtois also distributed 124 successful passes at the rate of 67 percent, and at an average of 26.4 passes per game. His performance against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the just concluded World Cup was outstanding, and it ultimately helped Belgium to a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil.
Before Keylor Navas, Real Madrid had a homegrown and talented Galactico goalkeeper in the form of Iker Casillas. After his departure to Porto, Madrid searched for a replacement. In Courtois they have found his replacement.
Courtois already has the experience of playing in La Liga. Having been signed by Chelsea from Genk, he was immediately loaned to Atletico Madrid.
For three long seasons, he was one of the key players on Diego Simeone’s team roster. In his first season, Atletico Madrid won the Europa League by beating Athletic Bilbao 3-0, he had a decisive clean sheet in that match.
In the 2013-14 season, Courtois conceded just 24 goals, playing an instrumental part in Atletico Madrid’s first La Liga victory since 1996.
Courtois will not take much time to settle and adapt to Spain. With his whole family in Madrid as well, Courtois can now focus on the game much better. He will prove to be a valuable signing for Real Madrid.