Real Madrid eye Premier League duo as Thibaut Courtois succession plan emerges
Thibaut Courtois has been a key man for Real Madrid for a number of years but the Spanish giants have turned their attentions to English football for a long-term replacement
Real Madrid are turning their attention to the Premier League as they look to identify a successor to Thibaut Courtois, it has been claimed. The Belgian international has been a key figure in Los Blancos' recent Champions League successes, but is now 33 and those at the club are believed to be considering a younger model.
The 2024 Champions League winners are expected to confirm Xabi Alonso as their new manager imminently following the Spaniard's Bayer Leverkusen exit, but they haven't slowed down on their transfer push. Trent Alexander-Arnold is on his way from Liverpool, and a new centre-back is also expected to join, with a new keeper completing the set.
According to The Sun, David Raya and Bart Verbruggen are the two Premier League men being considered, though neither would be easy to land. Raya is unlikely to be allowed to leave Arsenal without a fight, while Madrid's reported plan for Brighton star Verbruggen might not suit the Dutch international.
The same publication indicates the Spanish club want to initially bring in Verbruggen as a backup to Courtois before later elevating to first choice. With Verbruggen currently the established first choice under Fabian Hurzeler, though, he may prefer to stay put - especially with 2026 being a World Cup year.
Andriy Lunin has been the back-up to Courtois of late, playing six of his team's seven Champions League knockout games last season with his colleague out injured but losing his spot for the final. The Ukraine international could be made available for transfer this summer, having played just 60 first-team matches since joining the club in 2018.
Verbruggen helped Brighton claim a valuable 2-0 win at Wolves on Saturday to keep alive their hopes of European qualification. Hurzeler's team sit ninth - behind Brentford on goal difference only - and eighth place will be enough for Conference League qualification unless Crystal Palace beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
"Very happy that the players showed this performance. They stuck to the plan and defended quite well," manager Hurzeler told Match of the Day. "Second half, we defended quite well. In possession we could do it better, but I was happy to use the chance to score the second goal."
Alonso's other reported targets include Jonathan Tah, who could follow him in moving from Leverkusen. Former Real Madrid midfielder Alonso hasn't been confirmed as the new boss at the Bernabeu, but his decision to leave the BayArena is now official.
"This week the club and I have agreed that these two games will be my last two games as Bayer Leverkusen coach," Alonso said on Friday. "We have been talking during this week that is always about the moment and now is the right moment to announce it.
"We have always had a good and direct communication and now that we have clarity, it is the right moment to say that for sure. It is a moment with mixed emotions but it is the moment to announce it."
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Rhyl Journal
30 minutes ago
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Tottenham sack Ange Postecoglou weeks after Europa League success
Postecoglou delivered on his promise of 'always' winning in his second season thanks to the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21. It etched head coach Postecoglou's name into the history books as only the third Spurs boss to taste European success and the first in 17 years to lift silverware – provoking an outpouring of affection from a previously split fanbase. Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties. — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2025 While Postecoglou divided opinion across two years in England and attracted criticism during a torrid 17th-placed Premier League campaign, his San Mames triumph appeared enough to earn him year three. Postecoglou even delivered a mic-drop moment during a euphoric open-top bus parade in front of an estimated 220,000 people when he declared 'season three is better than season two', but chairman Daniel Levy had other ideas and has dismissed the man to deliver him a much-craved trophy. 'Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties,' a club statement read. 'We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. 'However, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place. 'It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. A post shared by UEFA Europa League (@europaleague) 'This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.' Postecoglou released a statement via his agency CAA Base, saying: 'When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, my overriding emotion is one of pride. 'The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. 'Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.' Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers' favourite to replace Postecoglou, who departs following a rollercoaster ride in his first Premier League role. A run of eight wins from his first 10 league fixtures – despite the high-profile departure of Harry Kane – propelled Spurs to the summit but a sign of things to come was a thrilling loss to Chelsea in November, 2023 where several injuries occurred. Fifth place in Postecoglou's debut campaign still represented an impressive finish but cracks started to emerge during a 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City where some Tottenham fans were conflicted given a positive result would have put rivals Arsenal in the driving seat for the title. A slow start to the 2024-25 campaign was followed by Postecoglou's second season trophy claim and a strong run of form as Spurs emphatically defeated Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City. Guglielmo Vicario's fractured ankle in a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium was quickly followed by serious setbacks for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven and Tottenham lost eight of their 11 league fixtures in a jam-packed December and January. The Carabao Cup provided solace until a 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the last-four, which meant it was Europa League or bust for Postecoglou. A last-16 tie with AZ Alkmaar was navigated and, while Postecoglou aimed a cupped ear celebration at his own fans away to Chelsea in April, he managed to get a sinking ship back on track to knock out Eintracht Frankfurt before Bodo/Glimt were thrashed in the semi-finals after supporters' responded positively to the Australian's call-to-arms. It was then all eyes on San Mames, where Postecoglou's bold second season declaration came to fruition. Brennan Johnson's first-half goal proved the difference as Spurs clinched a narrative-busting 1-0 win but euphoric celebrations in Spain, at an open-top bus parade and during a carnival final-day atmosphere were played out against a backdrop of uncertainty over the future of Postecoglou. Even though Postecoglou expressed his desire to take Tottenham to the 'next level' and received public backing from various players, chairman Levy has dismissed the Greek-born coach.
South Wales Guardian
31 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Tottenham sack Ange Postecoglou weeks after Europa League success
Postecoglou delivered on his promise of 'always' winning in his second season thanks to the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21. It etched head coach Postecoglou's name into the history books as only the third Spurs boss to taste European success and the first in 17 years to lift silverware – provoking an outpouring of affection from a previously split fanbase. Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties. — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2025 While Postecoglou divided opinion across two years in England and attracted criticism during a torrid 17th-placed Premier League campaign, his San Mames triumph appeared enough to earn him year three. Postecoglou even delivered a mic-drop moment during a euphoric open-top bus parade in front of an estimated 220,000 people when he declared 'season three is better than season two', but chairman Daniel Levy had other ideas and has dismissed the man to deliver him a much-craved trophy. 'Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties,' a club statement read. 'We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. 'However, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place. 'It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. A post shared by UEFA Europa League (@europaleague) 'This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.' Postecoglou released a statement via his agency CAA Base, saying: 'When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, my overriding emotion is one of pride. 'The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. 'Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.' Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers' favourite to replace Postecoglou, who departs following a rollercoaster ride in his first Premier League role. A run of eight wins from his first 10 league fixtures – despite the high-profile departure of Harry Kane – propelled Spurs to the summit but a sign of things to come was a thrilling loss to Chelsea in November, 2023 where several injuries occurred. Fifth place in Postecoglou's debut campaign still represented an impressive finish but cracks started to emerge during a 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City where some Tottenham fans were conflicted given a positive result would have put rivals Arsenal in the driving seat for the title. A slow start to the 2024-25 campaign was followed by Postecoglou's second season trophy claim and a strong run of form as Spurs emphatically defeated Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City. Guglielmo Vicario's fractured ankle in a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium was quickly followed by serious setbacks for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven and Tottenham lost eight of their 11 league fixtures in a jam-packed December and January. The Carabao Cup provided solace until a 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the last-four, which meant it was Europa League or bust for Postecoglou. A last-16 tie with AZ Alkmaar was navigated and, while Postecoglou aimed a cupped ear celebration at his own fans away to Chelsea in April, he managed to get a sinking ship back on track to knock out Eintracht Frankfurt before Bodo/Glimt were thrashed in the semi-finals after supporters' responded positively to the Australian's call-to-arms. It was then all eyes on San Mames, where Postecoglou's bold second season declaration came to fruition. Brennan Johnson's first-half goal proved the difference as Spurs clinched a narrative-busting 1-0 win but euphoric celebrations in Spain, at an open-top bus parade and during a carnival final-day atmosphere were played out against a backdrop of uncertainty over the future of Postecoglou. Even though Postecoglou expressed his desire to take Tottenham to the 'next level' and received public backing from various players, chairman Levy has dismissed the Greek-born coach.
BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
'The best decision' or 'disgraceful' and 'typically Spursy once again'?
Here are some more of your comments about Tottenham's decision to sack Ange Postecoglou:Graham: Tough one. Terrible season in the league, but finally, the monkey is off our back. And that's entirely down to Ange. We've never been a forward-thinking club, and Levy has to either change or we carry on pretending we're in the big league. Surviving in the Premier League is not Out of his depth. In other seasons could have been relegated. Just as well there were three worse teams. An embarrassment to finish behind Manchester United and Without a shadow of doubt, this is the best decision. Ange had to go, and I have said this from day one. He was way out of his depth. We were extremely lucky not to get relegated. I feel sorry for him, but he definitely didn't have a clue, and that was obvious with 22 defeats. Phillip: Absolutely the right decision. Our overall performance this season was unacceptable, and we could very easily have lost the final against a poor Manchester A totally expected but disgraceful decision from Levy. Maybe he should reflect on his own performances. Typically Spursy once again. The board should hang their heads in Football is supposed to be about glory, and winning trophies. Ange did that, with a team on their knees at times, without proper backing from the board. And he's thanked with the sack. Madness! I know the league form was poor, but they were never in danger of relegation, and there were obvious reasons for that form in injuries to key players. Levy has got this badly Really disappointing decision. I truly believe this is the wrong call, and the board will have to answer for what follows. Thank you, Ange, for everything you've done for the club - especially for delivering moments we'll never forget. Wishing him every success ahead. He'll always be welcome back. The first manager since Poch who genuinely felt connected to the club.
