An agreement has been reached. Ukraine goalkeeper makes final decision on career at Real Madrid

Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and Real Madrid have reached an agreement to extend his contract for the next four seasons (until June 2028), Marca reports. The agreement will be officially announced this week.

The negotiations came after weeks of doubt and uncertainty over the future of Lunin, whose contract was set to expire on June 30, 2025. The 25-year-old native of Krasnohrad wanted to bargain for more playing time in the first team.

Thus, Real Madrid solved a potential problem that could have arisen during the season, as Lunin's contract was coming to an end.

If Lunin had agreed to move to a new team, Real Madrid would have been left without a backup goalkeeper. Kepa Arrizabalaga could have taken his place, but he signed a contract with Bournemouth.

Lunin had been putting off a contract extension offered by the club due to concerns about the amount of playing time he would get this season. His agent, Jorge Mendes, conveyed these doubts to Real Madrid CEO Jose Angel Sanchez, and after much deliberation, Lunin decided that he was ready to fight for a place on the field with the main goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Lunin took advantage of the chance that arose in Courtois' absence last season to the point where he was nominated for France Football magazine's Goalkeeper of the Year.

For the first time since joining Real Madrid in 2018, the Ukrainian became the main goalkeeper and played a key role in the match against Manchester City. This season, he did not receive any playing time in either the Super Cup or La Liga. The absence of Courtois from the national team also did not help Lunin to use his chances to replace the Belgian.

"The contract extension is a gesture of trust on the part of the club and Lunin's desire to fight for a place in the lineup with Courtois, which is similar to the situation with Ceballos in the summer of 2023, when he also extended his contract. At the end of this season, Lunin will be able to analyze his situation and decide whether he should look for new offers or stay at Real Madrid.

It will be recalled that Lunin played a total of 31 matches in all competitions last season, in which he conceded 32 goals, and 12 games were nil. The Champions League matches against Leipzig and Manchester City were especially memorable when he won a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!