In what can only be described as a massive head-scratcher, Portuguese giants F.C. Porto have signed Real Madrid and Spain international goalkeeper Iker Casillas. While the move doesn’t weight terribly on the pocketbook of Julen Lopetegui’s Porto side, with Casillas set to have €4M of his €7.5M-per-year salary picked up by Real Madrid, it doesn’t make sense for the club either.
With veteran goalkeeper Helton already on the books, along with experienced, capable backups Sinan Bolat, Andres Fernandez, and Ricardo Nunes waiting in the wings, the move merely adds clutter to an already messy goalkeeping situation in the north of Portugal. Add to the mix Brazilian goalkeeper Fabiano, whom many believe surpassed Helton on the depth chart during the 2014-15 season, and the situation becomes even more bizarre.
With the €30M-plus departures of right back Danilo and star striker Jackson Martinez, along with the end of holding midfielder Casemiro’s loan from Real Madrid, one would assume that Lopetegui would strive to replace his lost outfield talent. While the Basque manager has gone out and unloaded some coin to bring in the likes of Giannelli Imbula from Marseille, people are justified in questioning his pursuit of Casillas.
Embarrassed at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Móstoles native has played his best football. As though with the flick of a switch, the once-fearless Spain ‘keeper has become incredibly timid on aerial balls, and though he is still a quality shot-stopper, his angle play has come into question in recent months.
The move to Porto makes sense for Real Madrid, who for the most part eat the legendary goalkeeper’s salary while clearing space for transfer target and Manchester United star ‘keeper David De Gea.
Personally, I can’t wrap my head around two recent goalkeeping decisions from Lopetegui:
- Why on earth did he send the 27 year-old Fabiano, who started thirty-eight matches in 2014-15 in place of the injured Helton to largely positive reviews, on a full season loan to Turkish side Fenerbahçe? Talk about a slap in the face of a goalkeeper who, though it may not have felt like it for the club’s demanding supporters base, helped the team to a hugely improved season from 2013-14.
- How did it even occur to Lopetegui that he needed to bring in another goalkeeper, and an over-the-hill Spanish legend at that? Casillas will eat up wages, bring an unnecessary media circus to town, and be, at best, marginally better than Fabiano was in 2014-15.
Time will tell how the move turns out, and the millions of euros eaten up by the Spanish ‘keeper’s wages could prove to ultimately be the difference in Lopetegui surviving the 2015-16 Primeira Liga campaign with his job at the Estadio do Dragão.
