In a fascinating development, Al-Ahli, one of Saudi Arabia’s prominent football clubs, are preparing an attractive offer to lure Real Madrid’s star goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.
As reported by SPORT, Al-Ahlli are ready to make Courtois an offer that will be extremely hard to turn down. This approach by Al-Ahli comes as part of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing strategy to attract top football talent with substantial financial incentives.
Interestingly, it must be noted that this is not the first time a Saudi club attempted to bring Courtois on board with a lucrative offer. Last summer, he was approached with a few tempting proposals but chose to stay committed to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid will not budge
As far as Real Madrid are concerned, they highly value Courtois and consider him one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Although the Belgian international has faced several injury setbacks recently, they intend to keep him as their primary goalkeeper.
Nonetheless, a substantial bid from Al-Ahli might be enough to make club president Florentino Perez rethink his stance and consider a younger replacement for future seasons.
Al-Ahli, eager to bolster their squad, has already acquired well-known players like Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessie, Roberto Firmino, Gabri Veiga, and Ivan Toney, but the addition of Courtois could provide a significant lift to their standing and reputation.
Courtois’s current contract with Real Madrid is set to run until 2026, leaving him with a few options. He could either join a Saudi club this summer if he decides to accept the offer, or he could fulfil his contract with Real Madrid and leave on a free transfer once it concludes.
Although the keeper has previously expressed his wish to retire with Real Madrid, other high-profile players like Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos once made similar statements.