Alphonse Areola in Madrid, it's over. Real on Tuesday formalized the end of the loan of the PSG player, who arrived last September after the signing of Keylor Navas from the club in the Spanish capital. Everything but a surprise for the goalkeeper of the Blues whose loan did not include a purchase option. Zinédine Zidane would like to promote the young Ukrainian Andriy Lunin, loaned this season to Real Valladolid, to the position of lining for Thibaut Courtois.
The French world champion will have played nine games in the jersey of Real Madrid with which he won the title of champion of Spain. "The club would like to thank Alphonse Areola for his dedication, professionalism and exemplary behavior during this season and wish him good luck for his next step," Real Madrid said in a statement.
For Alphonse Areola, the future should not however be written in his training club despite a contract that still runs for three seasons. Navas is committed until 2023 and is an indisputable holder at the end of a season where he seduced by his services and his integration into the group.
His understudy Sergio Rico has just extended his loan from Sevilla until the end of the Champions League but should return to Spain. And at 27, the French doorman wants to play, he who, in Paris, has always had to share his playing time with Kevin Trapp then Gianluigi Buffon.
His place in the France team will not necessarily support a place of No. 2 for long.