Real close in on Spanish stopper

Real are on the lookout for a talented young goalkeeper to complement and challenge No 1 Keylor Navas rather than immediately replace him and it appears that they have found their man in the Basque country.

The youngster has become an integral part of the Athletic Bilbao side in recent years and the club have been working hard on convincing the stopper to remain with the club. Kepa's current contract expires next summer and he has so far been unable to agree terms over an extension at the San Mames.

Real are known to have been looking at the player for some time and given his contract situation it seems that they are now set to make their move.

Spanish publication 'Marca' reports that whilst Real could sign the player on a free, they will instead pay Athletic a fee in the region of €20m in order to avoid being seen as taking advantage of the club.

Real are well aware of Bilbao's policy of using homegrown players and thus know that when they sell a player, the Basque side cannot simply go out and sign a replacement as easily as other clubs.

Zinedine Zidane is looking to add to the depth of his side and sees Kepa, who already has 142 La Liga appearances under his belt and who has been included in the Spain squad to face Costa Rica at Malaga's Rosaleda Stadium on Saturday, as an excellent option both for the present and the future.

Meanwhile, 'El Chiriguito' claims that Kepa is very keen on the move, hence his lack of motivation to commit his future to Athletic.

Kepa fits the new profile of Real's signings perfectly: he is young, talented, Spanish and comparatively cheap. Though the deal is not quite over the line just yet.