OFFICIAL: Areola moves to Real Madrid

The signing of the French goalkeeper has been a well known secret for days. Areola passed his medical in Madrid last Saturday and this Monday he was registered as a Real Madrid player. 

Minutes after many media outlets had reported this, PSG themselves confirmed the loan deal. Areola, whose contract at PSG ends in 2023, is now at Real Madrid until June 2020. The Spanish side will not be able to buy him afterwards. 

As expected, that led to Keylor Navas signing for PSG. The Costa Rican refused to warm the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu and he decided to join the French giants. 

Areola was a 2018 World Cup winner with France as he was the second choice keeper being Hugo Lloris and he does so with the mission of fighting for Thibaut Courtois' place although it does not seem like the Belgian will be relegated to the bench. 

The Frenchman moves to Madrid after a great record at PSG because he only conceded 87 goals in the 107 matches he played for the Parisian outfit, an average of 0.8 goals per game. 

 

September 2, 2019

It is worth pointing out that it will not be the keeper's first time in Spain because he was at Villarreal in the 2015-16 season in which he conceded 32 goals in 37 matches. 

Alphonse's strong point, as well as his great reflexes, is his reliability in the air. Real Madrid will have in their squad two of the tallest goalkeepers in the league because Courtois is 1.99m and Areola 1.95m. 

Keylor Navas, who is now in Paris, will leave Real Madrid five seasons after moving from Levante. He made 162 appearances and let in 159 goals. 

 

September 2, 2019