MADRID -- Yassine Bounou, goalkeeper for Sevilla, is Real Madrid's favorite to cover the absence of Thibaut Courtois due to injury, but the white club continues to look for other options in the market due to the high price of the Moroccan international, according to various sources confirmed to ESPN.
The white club has also considered the options of David de Gea and Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa, but sources indicate to ESPN that Bounou is the one who best fits Carlo Ancelotti's plans.
Bounou signed for Sevilla from Girona in 2019 and has since become one of the best goalkeepers in LaLiga. The 32-year-old goalkeeper has also helped the Andalusian club win the Europa League twice and was key in Morocco's great performance during the last World Cup.
The problem for Madrid is that Sevilla knows the great value of their goalkeeper and will not make his departure easy; in fact, Bayern Munich already tried to sign him unsuccessfully during the current transfer market due to the high demands of the Andalusians.
In this sense, sources assure ESPN that Sevilla president José Castro is already talking to Florentino Pérez and has requested more than 30 million euros to start negotiations.
According to sources, Madrid will try to lower Sevilla's demands, but they have other alternatives like De Gea or Kepa in case the operation doesn't succeed.
De Gea, who was very close to joining Madrid in 2015, is now a free agent after his contract with Manchester United ended, although sources suggest that his signing does not generate consensus at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Meanwhile, sources add to ESPN that Kepa, who was on Madrid's agenda in the past, is also liked, but if the Chelsea goalkeeper is chosen, the white team would try to make it through a loan.