Yassine Bono was very close to accepting an offer from Saudi Arabia until Real Madrid entered the race to sign the keeper after Thibaut Courtois ruptured his ACL on Thursday, report Marca.
Several options appeared on Madrid’s early shortlist, but Sevilla shot-stopper Bono soon became the preferred choice for the club and he would reportedly be open to moving to the Bernabéu before the end of the summer transfer window.
The Morocco international would prefer to continue playing in Europe despite the interest from the Middle East. His profile, experience and height all make him a top candidate for Madrid’s coaching staff. He is also a recent Europa League champion and reached the 2022 World Cup semi-finals with Morocco.
The one concern for Los Blancos will be that the Sevilla goalkeeper will leave Spain in January to play in the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco and could miss up to 13 matches.
Kieran Quaile | GSFN
