Real Madrid are monitoring Bernd Leno for a possible move in the summer and could battle Arsenal and Liverpool for his signature, as per reports.
Spanish publication Okdiario have reported that Real Madrid have added Bernd Leno’s name to their shortlist of priority goalkeeping signings for the summer. The Spanish giants will be watching the Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper, who has also been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool.
Bernd Leno has been a revelation in the Bundesliga ever since his move to Bayer Leverkusen from Vfb Stuttgart in 2011. Nearly six years on, and he is regularly classed as one of the best goalkeepers in Germany, having kept 85 clean sheets in 251 appearances for Bayer.
This season, Bayer’s form has blown hot and cold and they’re a long way away from Champions League qualification, as a result of which Leno has been able to keep just 4 clean sheets in 21 Bundesliga games. However, the 24-year-old has still managed to impress with his quick reflexes and superb shot stopping abilities.
His superlative performances have not been overlooked either and Leno is a name who is constantly linked with clubs in search of a goalkeeper. Two such outfits are Arsenal and Liverpool, with the Premier League duo reportedly in search of a young and talented goalkeeper in the summer.
While Arsenal are facing uncertainty with the underwhelming performances of Petr Cech and a lack of clarity about Wojciech Szczesny’s future at the club, Liverpool want a reliable presence between the sticks with both Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius proving to be highly inconsistent.
However, the two English heavyweights could soon be facing competition from Real Madrid, with Los Blancos adding Leno to their shortlist of targets. They’re now all set to watch the German in action against city rivals Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
A goalkeeping reinforcement is reported to be the top priority for Zinedine Zidane, with neither Keylor Navas nor Kiko Casilla managing to impress much this term. David De Gea and Thibaut Courtois have been identified as the favoured options by the Real Madrid boss but he is also laying out a contingency plan should he fail to land either.
Leno has, thus, been added to the list as he is a goalkeeper who would provide a long-term solution in goal for Real Madrid and would only cost a meagre €20 million. Should he impress the La Liga leaders much on Tuesday, Leno might as well make a case for himself to earn a summer move to the Santiago Bernabeu ahead of the more illustrious De Gea and Courtois.
