Luca Zidane is reportedly gunning for a return to Real Madrid as Los Blancos look to replace Andriy Lunin in the summer.
According to a report from Defensa Central, Luca Zidane is increasingly keen on returning to the Santiago Bernabeu. The Rayo Vallecano starlet is aware of the club’s search for a new goalkeeper in the summer and apparently wants to enrol as the desired replacement for Andriy Lunin next season.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper is unhappy with his lack of game-time at the Santiago Bernabeu. It has prompted him to consider a swift exit in the summer, with AS Roma among the clubs interested in securing his services. The prospect of Lunin’s departure has forced Real Madrid to scout multiple goalkeepers within La Liga, including Deportivo Alaves’s Fernando Pacheco.
Son of revered footballing superstar and former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, Luca stems from the club’s own academy. He was even promoted to the senior side in 2019 and ended up leaving the club in 2020 in favour of a free transfer to Rayo Vallecano.
The youngster was initially brought in to provide cover for Stole Dimitrievski, but it appears he has earned a place in the first team lately. Indeed, Zidane has started five of the last eight league matches, even starring in the recent 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid, making quite an impression with his excellent saves throughout the ninety minutes.
The 23-year-old’s performances have raised a lot of eyebrows, and although there is no mention of Real Madrid expressing their desire to re-sign the goalkeeper, the player himself is keen on returning to the Santiago Bernabeu.
It appears Zidane is content with the role of playing as a backup for Thibaut Courtois. At the age of 23, the Frenchman believes he has what it takes to compete with the Belgian and eventually become Real Madrid’s first-choice custodian in the long run.
In the meantime, though, Real Madrid remain keen on finding a more experienced alternative for Courtois. While Pacheco is already an option, the Spanish giants have been linked with an even more experienced star in David Ospina, who is set to become a free agent in the summer.
It appears Los Blancos are moving on from the model of having younger goalkeepers as backups, and that could potentially rule out Luca Zidane’s chances of returning to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window.
