Andriy Lunin makes new decision on Real Madrid future - report
- Andriy Lunin has played in goal for Real Madrid in absence of injured Thibaut Courtois
- Ukrainian was penalty shootout hero in Champions League quarter-final with Man City
- Lunin considering options with contract up in 2025
Real Madrid are awaiting on a decision from Andriy Lunin regarding his long-term future at the club, with the goalkeeper now considering his prospects once Thibaut Courtois returns from injury.
Lunin has proven his ability at the highest level this season, filling in for Courtois as Madrid close in on La Liga glory and prepare to contest the Champions League semi-finals.
Madrid initially brought in Kepa Arrizabalaga over the Ukrainian's head when Courtois tore his ACL. But the Chelsea loanee suffered a minor injury in November, at which point Lunin was handed an opportunity to take over and hasn't looked back.
Lunin, who was close to leaving Madrid last summer, has a contract until 2025 and talks are said to have progressed over a new contract, with MARCA writing that the club’s intention to tie him to a new long-term deal that would lock down the goalkeeper position for the next few years. There are no plans to retain Kepa beyond the initial loan period and Madrid do not intend to pursue any other possible targets between the sticks.
However, that all depends on Lunin agreeing to fresh terms. The situation is said to be entirely in his own hands, but ultimately he now has to decide whether he wants to compete with Courtois, whose return from injury was delayed by a fresh setback up resuming training, or branch out elsewhere. Despite reports from Spain suggesting he was close to signing a new contract in recent months, this appears not to have been the case.
Signing on the dotted line with Madrid, as the club hope for, could be an indication that Lunin is backing himself to given Carlo Ancelotti a goalkeeping headache next season, or alternatively a concession that he is prepared to sink back into an understudy role.
At 25, Lunin still has plenty of time ahead of him to make a career even if he does stay with Madrid for the next few years. A strong example of the virtue of patience as a goalkeeper is Emiliano Martinez, who was at Arsenal for a decade before signing with Aston Villa when he was 28.
Since then, the Argentine, now 31, has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, winning the World Cup and its Golden Glove award in 2022, as well as picking individual goalkeeping accolades dished out by FIFA and the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
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