Transfer Market Zidane and club board give their green light

A deal is in the offing for Kepa Arrizabalaga to join Real Madrid next summer as the LaLiga champions earmark the youngster as their number one goalkeeping target.

With his current deal at Athletic Club expiring at the end of the season, the Spanish Under-21 international would be free to negotiate a pre-agreement from January and contract talks with Los Leones have stuttered badly.

Athletic's latest offer of 3 million euros net per season was batted back by Kepa with the club's highest paid stars, Inaki Williams and Aymeric Laporte, endowed with 5m euro annual salaries.

In addition, the shot-stopper was offered a 75m euro release clause as part of the renewal, and yet Real are unlikely to be deterred even if Kepa signs on again at San Mames, with this route to signing the player always open in the Spanish game.

Nod of approval

Earning the trust of coach Zinedine Zidane and his staff is perhaps the biggest hurdle a prospective new signing faces in Madrid but Arrizabalaga has already gained that status, with goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis a former Athletic employee.

It's Llopis who has been integral in recommending the 23-year-old at Valdebebas and the player himself is well aware of the interest, which first broke in MARCA on September 19.

Therefore the pressure is on Kepa to hold off on signing a new deal in Bilbao until he hears out Real's offer, with the prospect of Madrid sending a compensation payment to their LaLiga counterparts not ruled out.

What of Keylor Navas?

A big part of this deal revolves around club president Florentino Perez finally capturing that long-term Spanish No. 1 he's been searching for over the years. This move, however, would not be along the same lines as David De Gea's potential switch from Manchester United.

This is because Zidane would keep current custodian Navas alongside Kepa to battle for the No. 1 jersey, allowing Kiko Casilla to depart after the Spaniard came close to a move to Newcastle United last summer.

With Kepa not arriving until July 2018, the pair would fight it out and the Costa Rican would, theoretically, be phased out as his contract expiry at the end of the 2019/20 season drew nearer.

Given his attitude and professionalism, Madrid are happy to review Navas' contract situation on a yearly basis when the time comes, and coach Zidane has instigated a policy of maximum respect towards the keeper.

The date is set, then, for Real to launch a raid on Bilbao for Kepa, as Los Blancos wait until January 1 and hope that the promising shot-stopper's contract situation isn't sorted out before they can swoop for their preferred target between the sticks.