Real Madrid Are Better Off Without Leverkusen Star Bernd Leno And Would Do Well To Look At Other Options
European champions Real Madrid are definitely in search of a goalkeeper in the upcoming summer transfer window. With first-choice keeper Keylor Navas constantly struggling with frequent injuries and lack of form, it may be time for the Spanish giants to splash the cash on a new goalkeeper next season.
Los Blancos have already listed a host of talented keepers in their summer wishlist, including David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois. But Zinedine Zidane’s men might also settle for a cheaper alternative, with Kepa Arrizabalaga and Bernd Leno on the club’s radar.
Bernd Leno, in particular, has been regarded as one of the best German keepers in the last few years and finally looks ready to leave Bayer Leverkusen for a bigger challenge this summer. In fact, the German international even acknowledged the fact that he’d love to join Real Madrid.
“It is now my goal to become one of the best goalkeepers around in Europe,” Leno told T-Online.
“We are regularly playing European football with Leverkusen, but it remains my dream to one day play for a major club abroad. And Real Madrid are the team I have supported since my childhood.”
Therefore, it seems very likely that a move for Bernd Leno could happen this summer, but should Real Madrid make a move for this highly rated German keeper?
Since his move from Stuttgart back in 2012, Leno has emerged as an imperial figure between the sticks for Leverkusen. In his first season at the club, the 26-year-old kept 11 clean sheets in 33 Bundesliga outings, a record which helped him kickstart his career at Leverkusen. Currently, in his 7th season with Die Werkself, Leno has made over 220 appearances in the German top flight, in which he has recorded 72 clean sheets.
Had it not been for the indispensable Manuel Neuer, Bernd Leno would have made a strong case for being the first choice keeper for the German national team.
But that being said, however, the Leverkusen keeper has his own downsides too, particularly regarding his lack of consistency. Leno has been extremely inconsistent in the last couple of seasons, which has somewhat minimised his value in Germany. Furthermore, he is also prone to making mistakes, which likely won’t go down well with Real Madrid.
Even though Bernd Leno has been much better this season under the leadership of Heiko Herrlich, that’s largely down to the fact that the defensive pairing of Jonathan Tah and Sven Bender has been highly impressive this campaign.
The duo has remained solid for the entirety of the season so far, which is coupled with a stronger looking midfield department for die werkself this campaign.
Therefore, splashing the cash on Bernd Leno could prove to be a gamble for Real Madrid and the European champions should definitely shift their focus on to other available candidates, as they look to replace Keylor Navas next season.