The alarm has been set off by José Félix Díaz in newspaper Marca. Saudi Arabia is coming for Thibaut Courtois.
He is no small prey. Unlike other stars captured by Arab soccer, Courtois is not back in soccer and is in the prime of his career.
At Real Madrid they are informed. The management knows what's going on around Courtois. Especifically, they know that the offer can't be fought with money.
What if Courtois Wants to Leave?
Courtois has one more year on his contract and Real Madrid is willing to make the most of it. The Belgian goalkeeper is not a former star who can be given special treatment in the twilight of his career. He is an asset to Real Madrid and one of its most important players.
Real Madrid doesn't have him for sale. If Courtois wants to go to Saudi Arabia, he'll have to wait until he's completed the year left on his contract. Either that or waiting for Saudi Arabia to negotiate the price of his departure with Real Madrid.
The same source told Marca that “Florentino Pérez wants to continue counting on the Belgian. Everything indicates that the goalkeeper also wants to stay at Real Madrid. The moves will happen and quite soon.”
Benzema's Memory and Neymar's Announcement
That's the key: Courtois's will. He wants to stay at Real Madrid, he is one of the players who most values the privilege of belonging to the white club. He's not going to give it up.
The club, however, was also calm about Benzema and overnight he announced his departure to head to Saudi Arabia.
The fact that Neymar has announced his decision to leave Arab soccer forces the demand for a replacement. Among the world's stars, Courtois is the most popular.
Unfortunately for Real Madrid, its best players are always in the spotlight. It is the price to pay for bringing together the best in the same squad.