Real Madrid secure Keylor Navas on six-year deal

Andy West 05:14 04/08/2014
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Key to success: Keylor Navas was outstanding for Costa Rica at the World Cup.

    Real Madrid on Sunday night confirmed the signing of Costa Rican international goalkeeper Keylor Navas.

    Los Blancos announced the 27-year-old’s arrival on a six-year deal after agreeing to meet his €10 million (Dh49.3m) buy-out clause at Levante and he will be presented at the Bernabeu tomorrow.

    Navas saw his reputation rocket after a hugely successful World Cup campaign with Costa Rica, which saw him play a fundamental role in the South American team’s unex­pected surge to the quarter finals.

    He conceded just one goal as Costa Rica topped their so-called ‘group of death’ which also featured Uruguay, Italy and England.

    Navas was then triumphant in a last 16 penalty shoot-out victory over Greece, but he saved his best for last with a stunning perform­ance to force another set of spot-kicks against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

    Navas was a key figure in the Valencia-based club’s solid 10th-place finish last season, conceding just 43 goals in 38 games – a defensive record bettered only by the top four in Spain.

    It was his first season as Levante’s first-choice No1, spend­ing the previous two seasons largely as an understudy following a move from Albacete in the summer of 2011, having earlier started his career with Deportivo Saprissa in his homeland.

    Meanwhile, La Liga side Villar­real are resigned to losing centre-back Mateo Mussachio – the club’s player of the year last season – with the Argentine set to move to Pre­mier League club Tottenham.

    Villarreal coach Marcelinho said: “If the club sell an important player it’s because the right conditions to do so have been met.

    “Mateo is a very important pla-yer. He’s an excellent player and will be a difficult loss to cover, espe­cially as he plays in a tough position to reinforce.”


    Recommended